


i went too far

by PayetteStAmour



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Body Dysmorphia, Confessions, Cunnilingus, Dry Humping, Eating Disorders, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Kissing, M/M, Masturbation, Mutual Masturbation, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Slow Burn, Trans Character, Trans Ignis, Transphobia, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Verbal Abuse, fatshaming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2018-09-26 00:04:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 51,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9852911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PayetteStAmour/pseuds/PayetteStAmour
Summary: Self worth isn't something you're born with. Our realities are established by the people around us, and we work from there. But sometimes even the people who care about us most can't touch the reality strangers have created for us -- and even more often, strangers will take advantage of it.Prompto fell into this trap.And then he fell into it again.





	1. Zara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I would love to thank the lovely [Besin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Besin/pseuds/Besin) for being the awesome human being they are and reading over my nonsense and helping me make it _not_ nonsense! They also assisted greatly with the summary. As in, they wrote the summary when I said, "this is the first multi-chapter fic I've written in close to ten years. I usually just put the opening paragraph as the blurb because all I write are fucking _one-shot smut_."  
>   
>  So anyway, this fic is coherent and has a summary thanks to Besin. They are lovely. Go read their promnis fic. Honestly, it's their promnis fic that even _got_ me on this ship in the first place so really. It's a Good Time.  
>   
>  Anyway! Enjoy! I have a nostalgic message at the end of the fic for anyone who wishes to read it.  
> 

Prompto’s first relationship was with a girl named Beatrice when he was fifteen-years old. She had known him since grade school, though back then she barely talked to him. Barely even _looked_ at him. But once they were in high school, and Prompto was more outgoing, she asked him out.

It came as a surprise, her proposition. He hadn’t been looking for a girlfriend, and even if he had, Beatrice wasn’t exactly on his radar. She was pretty, taller than him with long, straight black hair and her company was enjoyable for the most part. She was his first kiss, and was almost his first time, but he panicked when she went to remove his shirt. He was still losing weight, and his skin was riddled with stretchmarks and sagged in places; he wasn’t ready for her judgement of his body.

They broke up after only a few weeks when Noctis called him, telling him that Beatrice had attempted to sleep with him.

Even though he hadn’t felt that strongly for her, Prompto had been wounded to the core by her betrayal. It was even difficult for him to tolerate Noctis’ presence for a few days, which he felt terrible about. It wasn’t his best friend’s fault the girl used him like that, and Noctis had done everything right, from turning her down to calling Prompto immediately.

When Zara, another classmate, asked him out a few weeks later, he almost said ‘no’ and immediately chastised himself for his discrimination. Just because Beatrice was awful didn’t mean Zara would be. And Zara was cute, her eyes big and green in her happy, round face. She had short brown hair, and an athletic build, though she was shorter than Prompto was.

And Zara was different. She insisted on spending as much time as possible with Prompto, hanging off of him at school, coming over to play video games, coming out to the arcade with him and Noctis, everything and anything. She even started joining Prompto when he visited Noctis’ apartment. Prompto found that he actually _liked_ her, even if he hadn’t really known of her before she asked him out.

Noctis was still wary of her, even after a few weeks passed without incident.

“I don’t _like_ her, Prom. She isn’t good for you,” Noctis said, munching on the potato chips he had just pulled out of the cupboard.

“That’s not fair to Zara, Noct,” Prompto murmured, watching her play a video game in the living room with Gladio, Noctis’ bodyguard who was only three years their senior. “She’s not Beatrice.”

“You’re right,” Noctis replied, but he didn’t sound like he was agreeing. Prompto got the distinct feeling they were having two separate conversations, but Noctis offered no hints at what he was trying to warn Prompto about.

At that moment, Noctis’ front door opened and in strolled Ignis.

If Prompto was honest about his first _real_ crush, he would admit to being in love with Ignis Scientia since he was nine and fat and shy. That crush certainly hadn’t gone away, but the seventeen-year old was as unattainable as they came. Tall and broad-shouldered, with a trim waist, and his bangs swooped across his brow, he made a gorgeous sight.

“Yes! Supper is here!” Gladio whooped from the couch, earning a wry smirk from the Chamberlain.

“Glad to know I’m wanted in some capacity,” Ignis said, eyes sliding over to Zara. “Good evening, Zara. Will you be joining us for dinner, or…?”

“If that’s okay!” she said pleasantly, and Prompto turned a told-you-so look on Noctis. The prince only rolled his eyes and stuffed another chip in his mouth. Embarrassment flooded him as a realized how little that proved his point.

“Excellent,” Ignis responded brightly as he continued into the kitchen with his bags of ingredients, eyebrow raised at Prompto and Noctis. “Will you be helping me tonight, or merely standing in my way?”

In the end, as per usual, dinner became a community effort, everyone in the kitchen helping with something. Prompto felt mildly pleased that Zara was integrating so well with his friends, even with Noctis being openly cold to her presence. Gladio and Ignis seemed to like her, at least.

Prompto was already salivating when it came time to dish up, and he began piling his food high on his plate. The others were already seated at the table, Gladio and Noctis arguing loudly about a video game that was coming out soon.

“Babe, do you really need to eat _that_ much?” Zara asked, suddenly standing at his side, the length of her body pressed against him so she could speak into his ear.

His face flushed with shame as he said, “I guess not, but Iggy’s food is so good.”

Zara's smile was kind, eyes concerned as she grabbed for the serving spoon in his hand. Prompto was reluctant to let go, and Zara said firmly, “you know how you gain weight, hon.”

“I’ll run extra tomorrow,” Prompto insisted half-heartedly, already relinquishing the spoon, a stone settling in his stomach as Zara laughed. This was far from the first time they had this discussion.

“You know that’s not how it _works_ , Prompto,” Zara said, not unkindly, and Prompto had to force himself not to argue when she scooped more than half of what he served up for himself onto her own plate. “I’m just looking out for you, Prompto, because I care about you.”

“I know,” he conceded, swallowing his humiliation. She really was looking out for him, she always was. Eventually he would remember to moderate his servings so Zara wouldn’t have to for him, and she would be proud of him.

Zara grinned and leaned in to kiss him, and Gladio gagged from the dining room, hollering about girlfriends not being allowed anymore. Prompto only laughed and planted a big one on her before joining the others at the table.

* * *

Prompto sat on his couch, Zara in his lap as she kissed him breathless. This was how a lot of their afternoons were spent, holed up in Prompto’s apartment making out until they scrounged up something to eat, or Zara had to return home. His parents were always away at work, so they had a lot more privacy here than they would at Zara’s.

Or Noctis’, for that matter. But Zara had either begun to realize that Noctis was _not_ her fan or she got bored of hanging out with the guys, so they spent less and less time over there.

While Prompto enjoyed the intimacy, enjoyed the breathy sounds his girlfriend would make as they kissed and ground against one another, he was a little bit put out. They made plans to go see a movie tonight, something that Prompto put aside money for and everything, but once Zara got to Prompto’s, she decided she was too tired and just wanted to stay in.

Prompto jumped when he felt Zara tugging at the hem of his shirt, and panic flooded him. Grabbing her wrists in a bruising grip, he halted her movements, pulling back to stare at her.

“Please, Prompto,” she pleaded, leaning forward to try and kiss him again. “We’ve been dating for two months.”

“I’m not-I don’t…” he trailed off, embarrassed to admit that he was terrified of being seen naked, he was terrified of rejection and scorn for how ugly his body was.

“But I love you,” she begged now, eyes wide and going watery. “Don’t you love me, too?”

The question hit him like a train, and he was stumbling for words. They hardly talked about their feelings, and now she was confessing her love and he had no way of responding. He didn’t want to hurt her, as it had taken quite a bit of courage to declare such a thing, but he also didn’t want to mislead her. “Zara, I-”

“You don’t love me?” she wrenched back, a tear escaping her lashes and racing down her cheek.

“No, I do! I do, Zara!” Prompto blurted out, wiping her tear away and trying to kiss her again. His gut twisted at the lie, but he felt worse about making her cry.

“I don’t believe you,” she said sadly, more tears coming.

Bile rose in Prompto’s throat that he quickly swallowed down, breathing through his nose as he tried to rationalize with himself. This was _Zara_. she cared about him, looked out for him, knew about his weight problems and did whatever she could to help him stay on track. She wouldn’t be surprised by the stretch marks, if anything she likely expected them.

“I-I can show you, maybe,” Prompto finally bit out, pulling Zara back in for a kiss, and a lot of tension was released when she responded happily.

Several fumbling minutes later, Prompto laid across the couch, naked save for his workout band on his wrist, with Zara above him and looking over him. Her eyes lingered on the marks on his stomach, hips, and thighs, and the way his skin was obviously loose around his stomach. Her expression was unreadable, and Prompto felt ready to be sick. Finally, her green eyes met his blue, and she smiled kindly at him before rearranging them so that he was on top, and she was able to press her face into the crook of his shoulder.

They had sex that night, fumbling teenaged awkward sex, and Zara didn’t look at him when he got up to throw the condom out. They got dressed in awkward silence, and Prompto walked her home. They made out again on her doorstep, and Zara made him promise to text her when he got back home.

And he did, as he stripped out of his clothes and got into the shower, where he stood until the hot water ran out. Then he stood, naked, in front of the mirror and sent his girlfriend sweet texts full of heart emojis. His mind though was full of buzzing, a nest of hornets kicked into a frenzy while he stared at the loose, marked skin. There was still a pouch, a bit of chubbiness left on his stomach that he couldn’t seem to get rid of, and it was not just sagging skin.

He thought about his afternoon with Zara, and how he hated every moment of it, even the parts that felt _good_. He thought about how Zara would want to do that again, and probably again and again, and finally the meager salad he had for dinner wouldn’t stay down.

After the first time, Zara insisted that they do it in the dark, or with her facing away from him. It hurt a little bit, but it made it a little easier, and Prompto hated himself less when he was alone in his apartment after walking her home.

* * *

“It’s been a while,” Gladio said as he walked past the couch, ruffling Prompto’s hair as he went.

“That’s what I told ‘im,” Noctis mumbled. “Been too busy with The Bitch-”

“Language, Noct,” Ignis scolded, and Prompto sunk into his seat at the table. “You don’t call anyone, least of all your best friend’s paramour, that word.”

Zara had swiftly ended her inclusion in their little club, first calling Noctis out for being a “judgemental rich fuck”, and Gladio and Ignis were hard-pressed to hang out with someone who hated their charge as she did.

Now Prompto had to try even harder to split his time between his friends and his girlfriend, and he felt exhausted. Zara was going to be coming over to his apartment later that night, and Prompto was dreading it already. He had started combat training with Noctis and Gladio this past week, trying to fill out in muscle as well as working toward his goal of joining Noctis’ entourage officially. They had spent hours in the gym before going to Noctis’ apartment for showers and food.

Maybe if Prompto started building some muscle up, Zara would get off his back a bit about his appearance. Maybe she would want to see him naked like she had the first time. Maybe he would actually like what he saw in the mirror.

“Prompto, that can’t be all you are eating.”

Ignis’ voice cut through the blond’s thoughts, and Prompto quickly looked up at the man before looking down at his plate. He had dished up a heaping serving of salad and forgone any sauce or dressing. Zara would be proud, so Ignis’ disbelief was confusing to him. “What’s wrong with this?”

“Where are your carbs, dude? Your protein?” Gladio interjected, brow furrowed.

“I-I don’t have time to run when I get home, Zara’s coming over-”

“Prom, you need to eat more after a whole afternoon of combat training,” Noctis interrupted, his brow pinched and eyes deeply concerned for him. “Aren’t you hungry?”

Prompto was hungry, so hungry his belly ached from it. But he was doing so well with his calorie counter app, and he didn’t want the pasta dish Ignis had made to mess it up. “I need to be careful what I eat. I gain weight really easily,” he said, smiling at everyone.

“I was unaware of any dietary restrictions. I apologize, Prompto,” Ignis said, his tone clipped and his eyes narrowed, skepticism still obvious on his features.

“I-it’s fine, Iggy, really, don’t apologize-”

“You still have to eat something more than just salad, Blondie,” Gladio interrupted, shoving his plate across the table in front of Prompto. “Eat up. You aren’t leaving until you eat what’s on your plate.”

“And I will make sure to make more suitable meals in the future,” Ignis said carefully, watching Prompto, and the look in his hazel eyes made the blond weak. There was so much concern in them that Prompto had to look away, back down at the plate Gladio foisted upon him. But looking at the food made him queasy, so he excused himself to calm down in the bathroom, to collect himself and rationalize.

He would tell Zara he had to go for a run when he got home, and explain why, and they could hang out after. She would understand, he hoped.

As he was returning, he paused as he heard his friends muttering quietly in the dining room.

 _“He didn’t have ‘dietary restrictions’ until that_ brat _asked him out.”_ That was Noctis, his voice strained.

 _“He’s right, Iggy. Couldn’t get the guy to_ stop _eating some days.”_ Gladio was agreeing, and Prompto felt his stomach sink. Noctis hating Zara was a given, but Gladio siding with him was definitely a bad sign.

There was a long pause, before Ignis said thoughtfully, _“what do we do, then? If it is becoming that serious, it cannot be allowed to continue unchecked.”_

Prompto chose this moment to breeze into the room with a big smile on his face and he set about wolfing down the food on his plate. He didn’t want them conspiring behind his back, and he wasn’t quite ready to call them out on it or defend what he had with Zara. They just didn’t understand. “This is delicious, Iggy. But seriously, I need to be getting home.”

Noctis scoffed in the back of his throat as Prompto rose and took his empty plate and dirty cutlery to the kitchen sink. Ignis was thoughtful and quiet, while Gladio looked ready to say something. After a moment, the Chamberlain stood, and followed Prompto to the door.

“How about I give you a ride home. It’s an awfully long bus ride this time in the evening,” Ignis offered, picking his wallet and his car keys up off the sideboard in the small foyer.

Butterflies awoke in Prompto’s stomach and he nodded dumbly, accepting the ride with as much grace as he could muster. “Thanks,” he muttered as an afterthought, cheeks heating as he looked down at the toes of his boots.

“It’s no problem,” Ignis replied, pulling on his coat and opening the door for Prompto to exit.

They were mostly quiet for the trip, stuck in traffic as it was coming up on the tail-end of rush hour. Prompto pulled out his phone and, after quickly quizzing Ignis on the contents of dinner, he began entering the meal into his calorie counter app. Prompto couldn’t keep the grimace as it went over.

“Gil for your thoughts?” Ignis asked, glancing over at Prompto.

Prompto shrugged and looked out the window, already calculating how much he would have to run to make up the difference in his calorie intake. “Nothing really, just thinking about my date with Zara tonight.” It wasn’t quite a full lie, but it was close enough to taste bad in his mouth.

“Ah, I didn’t realize you were going out,” Ignis said, his voice amused, but kind. Prompto ventured a glance over at him and couldn’t help the smile that came to his face.

“Nah, we don’t really go _out_. I mean, we’re dating, but we usually just, you know, stay in,” he explained, and started to blush as he realized what exactly he was admitting to his friend. “Like, we’ll watch movies and stuff.”

The older teen made a thoughtful noise, eyes focused on the road, before he said, “I wouldn’t call that a date, then.”

“Oh you wouldn’t, would you?” Prompto laughed, a small sliver of him defensive, even while he mostly agreed.

“Not at all. A _date_ implies something special, out of the ordinary. Doing something you don’t normally do.”

Prompto scoffed at that a little bit. “Me and Zara don’t have the money to be going out all the time like you.”

“I said nothing about going out,” Ignis laughed, looking over at Prompto when they stopped at a red light. “It could involve staying in too, just do something _different_. What do you usually do?”

Prompto blushed furiously and looked out his window again, not wanting to look at Ignis when he answered. “Usually we just, like, make out and we’ll uh, you know, and then I’ll walk Zara home.”

There is a long pause, and Prompto can feel his airways seize. It’s not until the vehicle starts moving again that Ignis spoke again. “And you like this arrangement?”

Prompto could feel himself flush, dread filling him as he realized that he had to lie to Ignis _again_ in less than five minutes. He wanted desperately to tell someone how he felt about his body, about Zara seeing his body, about how he felt after sex and before sex and during sex. He wanted to talk to _somebody_ , but the guys were already so deadset against Zara. Prompto didn’t want to give them another unfounded reason to conspire against their relationship.

He might not love Zara, but she cares about him and Prompto wouldn’t let their relationship be taken out of context like this.

“Yeah, of course I do,” Prompto responded, though he knew absently that he took a second too long to reply. “What guy _doesn’t_ enjoy sex, right?”

“I imagine there are plenty of people who don’t, but that’s neither here nor there; I asked if you enjoy the arrangement you have with Zara, not if you enjoy sex,” Ignis replied, and Prompto grimaced at his reflection in his window.

Prompto sighed with a shrug. “Yeah, I do enjoy it most of the time. It’s fun, it feels good. Sometimes I wish we did something else, but it’s okay. I like it.” The lies felt like sawdust in his throat, but he told himself it was for the best.

Ignis and them wouldn’t understand.

“You know, Prompto, I don’t mean to pry-”

“Then don’t,” the blond interrupted, looking at Ignis again. The other teen was serious, eyes narrowed as he watched traffic.

“Alright, I won’t,” he finally said, the words coming slowly, thoughtfully. Prompto was both relieved and annoyed, and he couldn’t even begin to fathom why the latter. “But know that Noctis is quite concerned, and I’m inclined to agree. Gladio too.”

“Noct is just jealous I’m spending so much time with Zara.” The accusation hurt to say, and he immediately regretted it the moment it passed his lips. But it was out there, and he had to live with it.

Ignis’ lips pressed into a hard line as he pulled up to the curb in front of Prompto’s apartment, eyes landing on Zara leaning against the fence, playing on her phone. Prompto could only hope she wasn’t checking his fitness app. He hadn’t recorded his exercise this afternoon yet, and the calorie counter was through the roof.

“Try suggesting doing something different tonight. Instead of, ‘you know’,” Ignis said suddenly, turning in his seat to face Prompto fully, brushing his bangs to the side as they had fallen across the top edge of his glasses. “She should be agreeable.”

Prompto huffed a sigh and nodded, feeling a little bit less tense than he had before, but he just wanted out of the car. Zara wasn’t on her phone anymore, and watching them. Ignis was no longer in her good graces, what with him siding with Noctis. Prompto was surprised he wasn’t in trouble for riding the fence like he was.

“I’ll do that, Iggy. Thanks for the ride,” Prompto said, smiling at Ignis before opening his door and slipping out.

“Hey, babe,” Zara greeted happily, bouncing up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him thoroughly. Embarrassment flooded through him at the blatant display, especially since he knew that Ignis was still parked at the curb behind him. “You’re late.”

More shame shifted through him before he managed to beat it back. “I told you I was gonna have dinner with the guys.”

Zara pulled back to give him her patient smile, and he knew that wasn’t the right answer. “C’mon inside, then,” she all but purred at him, seemingly forgiving him.

Prompto was painfully aware of the fact that they were still out on the street, and that Ignis had yet to pull away from the curb, what with his need to watch his friends actually physically enter their homes safely. “Actually, what if we went on a run together instead, tonight?” he offered lamely, smiling to try and make his idea convincing.

“Why?”

“Well, I-I ate a lot at Noctis’ because I did work out a lot, with combat training today I mean, right? And I still wanted to like, run off the extra calories? So how about we do that together instead?” Prompto said, eyes downcast as Zara looked up at him.

“Sounds reasonable enough,” she said slowly, even if she didn’t sound completely convinced. Still, Prompto’s heart sang with her acceptance, and he couldn’t have helped the beaming smile he gave her even if he wanted to. “You have to change first, though. You’re still wearing our school uniform.”

“Yeah! Of course, yeah,” Prompto said happily, taking her hand and headed to his apartment, turning briefly to wave at Ignis and send him on his way. The Chamberlain nodded and waved back, leaving finally.

Once inside, Prompto slipped into his room to find his track shorts and a tank top, shrugging out of his uniform jacket and unbuttoning the shirt. He was halfway undressed when Zara stepped inside, crowding against Prompto with a mischievous smirk.

“I have a better idea to work off those calories,” she whispered, winking as she nudged him toward the bed.

“I thought we were going running,” the blond said, a bit crestfallen at her change of heart. He wasn’t exactly shocked or disappointed, but he had still hoped.

“I changed my mind,” she laughed, kissing him soundly, hands in his hair to hold him in place.

He had to work to pull away, grabbing her wrists and closing his lips against her questing tongue. “I really want to go for a run, though.”

“What, you don’t want me anymore?” Zara asked, her tone hurt and tears already springing to her eyes. “Are you getting _bored_ of me?”

“No! No, I swear that’s not it, I promise, Zara. I just want a break from, like, sex. And stuff,” he quickly babbled. “I want to do something different tonight, something, you know, special.”

“You think running is ‘special’?” she snapped at him, the tears running free from her eyes. Prompto felt his resolve crumbling.

“I guess not, but it’s different, from what we usually do,” he replied, shrugging helplessly. “I just want a break, just a night where we do stuff together. Even talk or something.”

Zara wiped away her tears, nodding slowly, but she wasn’t agreeing with him. Prompto could see it in her face. “How about we do something different tomorrow night? We can have some fun tonight, and then tomorrow night is all yours.”

A part of Prompto was bitter, and perhaps it was emboldened by his evening with his friends, and he asked, “why can’t we do something different _tonight_?” It sounded childish and petulant, and he felt shame and guilt the moment he said it, but he wanted an answer.

“Because I need you tonight, Prom,” she murmured against his throat, pressing against him with the length of her body. “You upset me.”

The nickname made him twitch--that was Noct’s name for him--but he still responded to her advances, wrapping his arms around her waist. He pushed his disappointment down, because yeah, he had upset her. He knew what she was coming over for, and trying to change the plans last minute like that on her was unfair.

Prompto felt her smile against the underside of his jaw and he let her tip him onto his bed.

* * *

They didn’t do anything different or special the next night, or any night after that.

* * *

It was one of the rare evenings that the guys came over to Prompto’s apartment, as per his invitation.

Noctis had walked home with Prompto after school, and Gladio and Ignis arrived sometime later. Ignis set up in the kitchen, rummaging for the tools he needed to make whatever delicious thing he would treat them to tonight. Prompto’s stomach was grumbling already, since he’d missed lunch to hide in the bathroom.

It wasn’t that he was avoiding Zara or anything, but he needed a breather. He had tried to discuss going on proper dates, taking it easy with how much sex they had, but every time she would get so upset, even when he brought up how she had promised him. But he couldn’t stand to see her cry, and he could stand her anger even _less_. Last night she had yelled at him for the better part of fifteen minutes, and that was a major part of him keeping his distance.

He was settled into the sofa, wedged between Noct and Gladio, enjoying the aroma of the meal Ignis was preparing. Noctis and Gladio were playing a video game, yelling at each other and laughing, and it felt good. It was the first time in ages that he could actually relax and enjoy his evening.

That was until there was a firm knock on the front door.

“You expecting anyone, Prom?” Noctis asked dryly, his good mood gone sour in an instant.

“I told her I was busy,” Prompto grumbled, hauling himself out of the couch and hustling over to the door. When he opened it, he found Zara standing there, looking disappointed and upset. Guilt flooded him before he could stop it.

“I didn’t realize you had company,” she said, her tone bitter.

Prompto grimaced before saying softly, “I told you the guys were coming over. I texted you.”

“I didn’t get any texts all day,” she said, the tone almost harsh enough to be a snap at him. “I wanted to talk to you. About last night.”

The blond heaved a sigh, glancing over his shoulder at the guys, panic rising in him. None of them were watching him though, busy in their own tasks.

“Can’t I at least come in, or are you going to leave me outside?” Zara bit out, and instantly Prompto was stepping aside, allowing her to cross the threshold. This caught Ignis’ attention as he stepped into the living room, his eyes landing on Zara before flickering quickly over to Prompto.

“We’ll be right back,” Prompto said quietly before leading Zara down the hall to his bedroom where they could talk in private.

As soon as the door shut behind her though, Zara had her arms around him, pulling him into a hard kiss. Prompto was too stunned to react, stumbling back until the backs of his knees hit the bed and they toppled over. His hands went to her waist and he pushed at her, struggling for a moment before she relented and allowed him to push her off.

“Zara, we can’t-”

“I just felt so bad about how last night went. I want to make it up to you,” Zara insisted, straddling Prompto’s lap and pressing forward for another kiss.

“My friends are just down the hall, we can’t do this right now,” he insisted, shying away from her scrutiny. He was choosing his words carefully now, trying not to incite that same rage from yesterday.

“We _can_ , though. It’s not like they would come interrupt,” she said with a loud laugh, her mouth moving to his throat.

“Zara, please,” Prompto forced out, his hands grabbing her shoulders to push her way. “I can’t do this anymore, I just can’t. I need a break.”

This was the wrong thing to say.

Zara’s nostrils flared with her anger, eyes filling with tears until they spilled over and she hissed in his face, “it’s always about what _you_ want, Prompto. Everyday, you do this, every single day. I have to beg you and bargain with you every fucking day. What the fuck is wrong with you? How can you, of all fucking people, turn me down like this _everyday_?”

Prompto flinched away from her at that, trying to find something to distract himself with now that he had gone and set her off.

“You’re so fucking _selfish_ . You won’t even _look at me_ , you’re such a selfish fucking _coward_.”

It was because he was looking away that he didn’t see her hand move to grab his face, her grip strong enough to hurt as she turned him to look at her again.

“You wanna break up? Is that it?” she shouted spittle hitting Prompto’s face.

He wasn’t sure what possessed him to do it, if it was her bluntly asking him a question he could only answer truthfully, but he nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

Zara’s face went slack for a moment, her mouth moving uselessly until her features contorted to something ugly and fearsome. “Just like that? We’re together for months, we’re happy for _months_ , and then suddenly this? What, did your precious _guys_ get it in your head to dump me?”

He shook his head at that, desperate to get out from under her, but he couldn’t do that without hurting her. So he sat there, suffering through the bruising grip on his face.

“Who the fuck is going to want _you_ ? If not me, _who_ ?” The words hit him harder than a slap would have, and his eyes brimmed with sudden, stinging tears, a sharp ball of glass forming in his throat. Zara laughed, a loud, cruel bark. “See? You get it, right? I’m the only one who will _ever_ want you, accept you. I’m the only one who’s ever fucking _cared_ about y-”

“That is quite enough!”

Zara and Prompto both looked at the door, eyes wide at Ignis. He looked livid, the emotions on his face so present and intense, Prompto felt overwhelmed. But then the shame of the position he was found in flooded him, how he was pinned beneath someone so easily and held hostage in his own home. The shame of being caught in such a vulnerable position, by Ignis of all people.

“It’s time that you left, Zara,” Ignis said firmly, his rage barely restrained in his clipped tone.

“We’re having a conversation, four-eyes, fuck off,” Zara growled, and Prompto flinched when her nails dug into the flesh of his cheeks.

“Prompto, do you wish for her to stay?’ Ignis said, ignoring her completely. When Prompto shook his head minutely, the older teen pulled out his phone. “Zara, it is time that you leave, or we will be forced to call the authorities.”

The girl seemed to weigh her options before shoving off of Prompto’s lap, and she pointed at Prompto. “This isn’t over, Prompto. We’ll fix this.”

With Ignis in the room, and knowing he had some support, Prompto felt a bit braver,. “Please leave, Zara,” he ground out, looking away as she shoved past Ignis. She snarled something at Gladio and Noctis, but Prompto couldn’t understand what she said.

He sat in silence for a while, allowing Ignis to stare at him, to weigh his words before speaking them. Eventually, Ignis asked, “are you going to be okay?”

Prompto shrugged and turned a smile on Ignis. “Thanks for having my back, there. I needed it.”

Ignis furrowed his brow before beginning again. “Prompto, will you be okay-”

“Please don’t, Ig, not today, please,” Prompto replied softly, rubbing his face harshly. “Just feed me and put a game controller in my hand. That’s all I need tonight, okay?”

Ignis paused for a moment, obviously doubting the blond’s judgement, but thankfully he said nothing, only stepped back to remove himself from the doorway. “Fair enough,” he said softly, the anger bleeding out of his features to be replaced with something else entirely, an emotion that Prompto could only describe as being pity.

Prompto stood quickly, needing to escape his bedroom and Ignis’ pity, needing to go back to video games and scrumptious dinner. “Thanks again,” Prompto muttered as he slipped past Ignis.

“Any time,” Ignis replied softly, his face unreadable as it usually was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  Enter this fic.  
>   
> This has become a cathartic process for me, of writing what my abusers said and did to me, but with the victim having a support system, something to help him out of the dark places, someone to protect him. Zara and Samuel are very much based on two of my key abusers. Everything they did and said to Prompto were things I've personally experienced. I've dialed a lot of the scenes back from what they were IRL, however.  
>   
> I hope you're enjoying my fic. Read, review (and kudo!), repeat  
>   
> Number, kupo~*~  
> 


	2. Samuel: Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna thank the lovely [Besin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Besin/pseuds/Besin) again for all of their help with editing this fic and acting as a soundboard for all of my ideas, while also suggesting some scenes.

A year and a half went by and a lot changed. Prompto was almost seventeen, he and Noctis both got part-time jobs, and Prompto met Samuel. A petty part of him blamed Ignis. 

The four of them were at Gladio’s place. They had just eaten dinner, Noctis and Gladio already playing a card game in the living room, and Prompto was making displeased noises as he entered everything into his app. He knew Ignis was watching him, but he had stopped lecturing Prompto about his usage of the app. The blond wasn’t cutting back on meals anymore, so what more could Ignis and them want?

“Have you considered joining a gym and getting a personal trainer?” the Chamberlain asked suddenly. “They could be helpful. Most gyms have dietitians, who can set up meal plans based on your needs and goals.”

Prompto looked up at Ignis, eyebrow raised. “You think I can afford a gym, Iggy?” 

Ignis actually flushed at that, just a light dusting of pink across his tanned cheeks, as he adjusted his glasses. Prompto was taken with it; his stomach full of butterflies as he watched Ignis regain his composure 

“Apologies; it was presumptuous of me,” Ignis said finally, sighing as he looked down at his meal. “I just do not enjoy watching you fuss over a mobile app that knows nothing about you and offers nothing in the way of advice. It likely calculates the sugar in strawberries the same way it does for a handful of candy.”

Prompto wanted to argue, defend his app, but Ignis was right. One of his problems today was that his app said he was over on his daily sugar allowance because of the fruit salad he had on his break at work. And really, he was giving Ignis a harder time than necessary. He had looked into gyms, and with his job he could technically afford to join one, but not with the money he was trying to save. 

He had Moogled how to deal with stretch marks and sagging skin, and discovered that through cosmetic surgery, he could get rid of the excess skin. There were other treatments for the stretch marks, but they were less of a concern for him. Prompto further searched for the best surgeon, and got a general quote for the operation. Since it was voluntary and purely cosmetic, Lucian healthcare wouldn’t cover the cost. After that, he calculated how much money he needed from his paycheques, and how long it would take to save up for the operation. He was counting on going full-time at work after high school, so that would change his time estimate. If he joined the Crownsguard, that would be even more money. 

“I’ll look into it,” Prompto said, and it wasn’t  _ quite  _ a lie. He would likely look at gym membership prices again, try to budget it in, and go to bed frustrated and bitter. 

“Your birthday is coming up. Would it be out of line for me to pay the membership fees for a gym near your house, as a gift?”

Prompto felt warm at the suggestion, even as it made him a bit uncomfortable. So he teased, “is it really a gift if you’re only doing it because you’re annoyed with my phone app?”

“I want to do it because I care about you, and that  _ app _ is more than a mere annoyance. I  _ despise  _ it and the… the  _ monster  _ who instal-”

“I’m sorry, Iggy, I was teasing,” Prompto hurriedly interjected, his stomach fluttering at Ignis’ proclamation. They didn’t talk about Zara much anymore, not that Prompto ever actually talked about her. Ignis only knew as much as he saw and heard, and he was this angry about her still. Prompto grabbed for his glass of water, trying to regain at least a fraction of his composure. “I know your intentions are pure and stuff.”

“Are they?” Ignis asked with a slight upturn of the corner of his mouth. He laughed outright when Prompto nearly spat his mouthful of water across the table. “Apologies; the opportunity presented itself.”

Prompto busied himself with mopping up the table with his napkin, laughing as he thought about Ignis having impure intentions of a certain kind toward him, and he knew he was red down to his waist with the force if his blush. He would have to sit at the table for a while as he calmed down. 

“What I meant,  _ jerk _ , is that I know you mean well. I was just teasing ‘cos I was a little uncomfortable,” Prompto said, a bit defensively but still grinning. When he looked up at Ignis, he saw the other teen was still smiling as well. 

“If it makes you too uncomfortable, I’ll rescind my offer and never speak of it again,” Ignis promised, and Prompto believed him. 

After the break-up with Zara, when Prompto refused to talk about it, Ignis was the only one to actually drop it. Noctis  _ still _ would ask about her from time to time, about the relationship, and while Prompto knew it was merely out of concern, it grated on his nerves nonetheless. He was embarrassed about what happened with Zara. How long he let it go on. How he never asked for help. 

“Nah, it doesn’t make me feel super weird. I’m just not used to people getting me things,” Prompto said with a shrug. 

“Splendid. It was either a gym membership or that fancy camera you’ve been eyeing,” Ignis said with a happy huff, standing up to collect the empty plates. 

The statement had the desired effect, Prompto stumbling to his feet to help Ignis, even as he was blushing profusely again. “That camera is way too expensive, Iggy! Tell me you weren’t actually considering getting that for me!”

“I don’t make a habit of lying, Prompto. I won’t be starting now,” he replied with a warm smile, and the blond was weak in the knees. 

* * *

It was a couple days after his birthday when Prompto actually made it to the gym. He spent a couple hours sitting with a trainer, Don, and then a dietitian, Glinda, discussing his goals and needs, his problem foods, his strengths and weaknesses. He felt embarrassed when they went to measure his body fat, but the trainer seemed proud of the excess skin, commending him for his drive, especially when he learned that Prompto lost all of that weight only by running.

Don was concerned with how little fat Prompto actually had, and Glinda made notes for his meal plan. “We need you to gain a bit before we can actually do much of anything. You’re not underweight, or I would be sending you to a doctor, but you need fat to build muscle. Muscle needs something to burn.”

“Okay,” Prompto agreed, even as the thought of gaining weight made him want to scream a little bit.

After the first work out, Prompto felt good, better than he ever did after a workout, and Glinda had the first phase of his meal plan prepared. 

“Do you need easier recipes?” she asked kindly as he stared at the packet of papers. 

“No, no I have a friend who likes to cook, maybe he’ll teach me. Just…these are high calorie,” Prompto muttered. 

“You have one of those apps, don’t you.” That was Don, and it was a statement, not a question. Prompto barely managed a mute nod before Don shook his head. “I want you to uninstall it until we’re at a point where counting your calories makes sense, and I’ll teach you how to read the results and what to disregard. Right now, you need meat on those bones.”

“Okay,” Prompto agreed, a little bit dazed as he pulled out his phone and uninstalled the app. 

Later, after an intense workout that left him breathless and exhilarated, Prompto showered and sat in the locker room. Pulling out his phone, he quickly dialled Ignis. 

“Hello, Prompto. Is everything alright?” The concern in Ignis’ voice was so genuine that Prompto felt bad for not just texting instead. It was exceedingly rare for him to actually call Ignis. 

“Dude, everything is fine. Sorry, just got my meal plan from the gym and I was hoping you could help me with some of the recipes and stuff. Some of these ingredients are weird,” Prompto said with a laugh. 

“Would you like me to come over tonight?”

Prompto chewed his lip before letting out a laugh. “Yeah, if you’re free and able.”

“I’m sure I can make it work. Does six work for you?”

“Uh, we might have to pick up ingredients, though,” Prompto said, a little frustrated he hadn’t thought of that. 

“Just text me the list of ingredients for the meal you want tonight and I’ll pick them up on the way over. So six?”

Prompto grinned, saying, “Yeah, six works. Thanks, Iggy.”

There was a pause, before Ignis finally said, “Anytime, Prompto.”

They hung up and Prompto just grinned at the device. This was the best idea ever, and Ignis was the one responsible for it. Not only had the absence of the calorie counter lifted a weight off his chest, but now he had an excuse to invite Ignis over whenever he wanted. 

“You know, you’re not allowed to have your phone out in the locker room.”

Prompto squeaked and dropped his phone in his haste to put it away, whipping around to stare at the man standing behind him. 

He was tall, taller than Gladio and broader, though likely about the same age. He had a shock of red hair, a dye job from the looks of it, and dark grey eyes. The man was painfully attractive and Prompto could feel the bottom drop out of his stomach. 

“S-sorry I was just-”

“Was that your girlfriend?”

“No-”

“Boyfriend?”

“No! Iggy’s not, I mean, Ignis is my friend. He likes cooking, so he’s gonna help me out a bit,” Prompto explained quickly, flushing under the man’s scrutiny. 

The man chuckled and stepped forward to straddle the bench next to Prompto, a good two feet of space between them. “I’m Samuel,” he said. “I think you're pretty cute, and I’m kinda hoping you’ll grab a coffee with me.”

Prompto stammered a bit. “W-wow, really? Uhm, okay? I guess I have time,” he babbled, picking his phone up off the floor before realizing he had yet to give Samuel his name. “Oh shit, sorry, I’m Prompto.”

Samuel grinned and offered a handshake. “Nice to meet you, Prompto.”

* * *

They ended up leaving the cafe at about quarter to six, strolling easily down the street to Prompto’s apartment. The afternoon had gone by so quickly, Samuel had to remind Prompto of the time and his plans with Ignis.

“That was fun, thanks,” Samuel said as they stopped in front of Prompto’s apartment building, his gaze searching the blond’s. “We should go out sometime. A proper date. How about that?”

“Yeah! Yeah, totally, that would be great,” Prompto responded eagerly, pulling out his phone and opening a new contact folder. “Here, give me your number.”

They were still exchanging numbers when Ignis pulled up to the curb and killed the engine. Samuel whistled at the car as Ignis got out and moved around to the trunk.

Ignis’ eyes flickered between the two of them before settling his gaze on Samuel. “Well I certainly hope that whistle wasn’t directed at me if you have any intentions toward my friend,” he said, his tone light despite the obvious threat. 

“Just admiring the wheels, buddy,” Samuel replied with a grin. “How’d you get one of  _ these _ ?”

“Company car, more or less. Prompto, is your friend staying for supper?” Ignis directed at Prompto, who was hanging back and observing. 

“Nah, Samuel and I are making plans for another time,” he answered quickly, waving his phone at Samuel, pleased that the man beamed back at him instead of looking put-out at not being invited. “Text me later, okay?”

“Of course. Nice to meet you, Ignis,” Samuel said before strolling down the sidewalk away from them. Prompto felt something flutter in his chest when Samuel glanced back and waved.

“He seems pleasant,” Ignis finally said when they got inside and sorted out the ingredients on the counter. “How long have you known him?”

“Just this afternoon.” Prompto leafed through his recipes until he found the one they were making tonight and stepped closer to watch Ignis prepare. “I met him at the gym, and he asked me out to coffee.”

“You don’t appear sold on him,” Ignis prodded politely, his eyes dutifully staring at the produce he was rinsing off.

Prompto took a moment before answering, deciding that perhaps the truth was best. “What if he’s like Zara? You’re not always going to be around to help me. I mean, we’ve all gotten so busy, we barely see each other,” he admitted, shrugging. “Which, okay, that sounds childish, I should be able to take care of myself-”

“Prompto, I know what being in something toxic is like. It’s not always easy to tell when something is wrong, and it’s even harder to escape it,” Ignis interjected, pausing in preparing dinner look at Prompto. “You are not childish to be scared or want the guarantee of help.”

Ignis changed the subject after that, turning it around to Prompto’s studies, what Prompto wanted to do for university, how his job at the photographer’s shop was going. They plated supper, and sat close together around dining room table, their idle conversation ending as they dug in.

Prompto moaned around his mouthful. “Fuck, Iggy, this may have been a mistake. I’ll never make this meal  _ this good _ , and I’ll be disappointed forever,” he sighed, shoveling another hefty forkful into his mouth.

“I marked the changes I made on the recipe card,” Ignis replied with a laugh, though his cheeks were dusted with pink. Prompto adored his blush, and it brought a happy grin to his face. “I have an idea, to solve our predicament from earlier.”

“Our predicament?”

“About your friend, Samuel, and you being afraid of not having help if you need it,” Ignis clarified. “Noct and I used to have a code phrase, something we wouldn’t normally say in daily conversation. It was something that we could say to each other, and the other would come, no questions asked.”

“If Noct called you right now and said it, would you still go to him?” Prompto asked.

“In a heartbeat. Barring being out of the country, I will always immediately heed that particular call,” Ignis responded.

“Okay, so a code phrase like ‘I love Chocobos’ or something?”

Ignis laughed, a loud sound that came from his chest. “Prompto, it has to be something you wouldn’t normally say.”

“Okay, what about ‘Chocobos are easily my second favourite animal’?” Prompto grinned at his friend, finishing his final mouthful.

“Wordy, but acceptable,” Ignis said with a smile. “Now, if you ever text that or call me and say that, I will come get you, no questions asked.”

Prompto sighed, relieved and pleased with his friend’s support. Though now that Prompto thought back on their conversation from earlier, he remembered a detail that stuck in his mind. “You said you know what is’t like to be in a toxic relationship?”

Ignis nodded, finishing his dinner and standing to collect both of their plates. Prompto joined him to clean up. “I was with a guy, a man really. There was quite an age gap, illegal even. He was very pushy, not unlike your Zara.”

“What happened?” Prompto asked, chewing his lip nervously.

“He died under mysterious circumstances,” Ignis said with a wink, chuckling at Prompto’s stunned expression. “I’m only joking, Prompto. That’s just an idle fantasy I had for him at the worst of it. In the end, my parents had him arrested because as I said, it was quite illegal, him associating with me like that.”

“Shit, Iggy, I had no idea,” Prompto said, feeling terrible he had never asked anything like this.

“It’s not something I advertise, Prompto. It happened well before I knew you,” the Chamberlain said warmly. “I hardly think about it anymore. I only mentioned it because you were being so hard on yourself.”

Prompto smiled and ducked his head, scratching the back of his neck. “Thanks, Iggy. You’re honestly the best.”

Ignis mirrored his happy expression. “I do try.”

* * *

The next day, Prompto sat in Noctis’ apartment after school, watching the prince fail miserably at defeating a particularly ornery boss in his video game. It was just the two of them, a rarity lately as usually Gladio was there, but the big guy had a special training session to attend.

It was nice, though, having the apartment to themselves like this for the first time in what felt like ages.

They were supposedly celebrating Prompto’s birthday belatedly, since Noctis had been too busy on the actual day. That was perfectly acceptable to the blond, as he had no special attachments to the day. It was more his ‘adoption day’ than an actual birthday, and growing up his parents were pretty absent regardless of the occasion.

But Noctis insisted upon Prompto coming over and eating dinner and cake.

“I’ll pass on the cake,” Prompto had said with a laugh when he walked in, even though the monstrosity looked amazing.

“No you won’t. Iggy made it, and he told  _ me _ to tell  _ you  _ that it follows your diet, even though I don’t know  _ why _ you’re on a diet,” Noctis said sternly, and Prompto was honestly impressed his friend was even able to string that many words together at once. “Iggy made dinner, too. We just have to heat it up when we’re ready.”

Now they sat in the living room, stomachs full, playing a video game into the late hours. Finally Prompto got fed up watching Noctis miss the  _ obvious _ strategy to beat the boss and yanked the controller out of his friend’s hands. “Give me this. Lemme show you how it’s done.”

“Fine!” Noctis huffed, throwing his hands up and slouching. “So what’s with this diet you’re on?”

“It’s actually to gain a bit of weight. I’ve started going to a gym, so I’m working with a trainer and a dietician,” Prompto replied with a shrug, mashing the buttons on the controller desperately. This boss battle was much easier in theory.

“Didn’t know you started going to a gym,” Noctis said a bit grumpily, though the blond couldn’t figure out  _ why _ .

“Ignis got me a membership for my birthday,” Prompto admitted, and for some reason he blushed when he said it. “He’s actually helping me out with cooking the stuff in my meal plan.”

“Wow. That sounds, like, super domestic,” Noctis snorted, laughing outright when Prompto lost the boss battle as well. The blond immediately started over, trying to ignore the way his blush was crawling down his neck.

“Well, I met someone at the gym. We’re setting up a date this weekend,” Prompto said, turning the subject away from the Chamberlain and the wants the man woke inside Prompto.

“Neat. What’s her name?”

“Uh, his name is Samuel,” Prompto replied, suddenly nervous. He chewed his lip while he waited for Noctis’ response.

“Oh shit, sorry dude. That wasn’t cool of me to assume like that,” Noctis said instantly. “I didn’t realize you were into guys.”

“Yeah, I’ve always been, uh, into guys,” Prompto laughed, giving a loud whoop when he finally landed the last hit on the villain in the game. “See?! That’s what i’m talking about!”

“So like, do you still like girls? Like are you bi, or…?” Noctis questioned, taking the game controller back to continue his game.

“Yeah, I still like girls,” the blond answered with a shrug. “I never really thought about it, but yeah I guess I’m bi.”

“Cool,” Noctis said with a nod and a smile.

“I’ve never, like, had a crush on you though,” Prompto blurted, nerves about the conversation getting to him.

Noctis let out a loud bark of a laugh at that. “Are you saying I’m ugly or something?”

“No, I just, I didn’t want you thinking-”

“What, that you only hung out with me to get into my pants? Dude, I think if that were a legitimate issue, it would have come up long before this,” Noctis said drolly, rolling his eyes slightly. “So tell me about this guy.”

“His name is Samuel, he’s uh, super hot. We got coffee after they gym, and then he walked me home and we’ve been texting a lot. His dad is some CEO or something, so he works as an assistant at his dad’s company,” Prompto said quickly, blushing once again as Noctis laughed.

“You got a pic of him? I wanna see what you deem as ‘super hot’ since so far your taste in girls has been subpar at best,” Noctis declared, pausing his game to look over at Prompto.

“That’s not nice, Noct. Physical appearance doesn’t mean anything, and even if it did, Beatrice and Zara weren’t ugly,” Prompto grumbled, pulling out his phone to find one of the selfies Samuel sent him.

“I’d say both of them were ugly enough on the inside to warrant me being mean,” Noctis replied, completely unrepentant.

Prompto pulled up Samuel’s selfie and passed his phone over to his friend, chewing his lip nervously as the prince just stared at the picture, eyes narrowed and expression thoughtful.

“Okay, I agree he is super hot. Just one question; how old is this guy? Like seriously Prom, did you snag a sugar daddy, or-”

“Shut up! No!” Prompto flailed, snatching his phone away as Noctis laughed. “He’s the same age as Gladio, you jerk.”

The prince shrugged a bit. “I dunno, Prom. Don’t you think that’s a little too old for you? I mean, you’re only seventeen. Like  _ barely _ seventeen.”

“Okay, you’re one to talk, seeing as Lady Lunafreya is  _ four years older _ than you,” Prompto grumbled, slumping back in the couch. “And Ignis didn’t say anything about Samuel’s age.”

“So first of all, I’m not  _ with _ Luna-”

“Dude, you call her  _ Luna _ -”

“And second of all, Iggy’s  _ met  _ this guy already? And I’m just finding out about him?” Noctis sounded genuinely hurt, and guilt flashed through Prompto for a split-second.

“This all happened yesterday, dude. I promise. Iggy only met him because he came to my place to help me make dinner while Samuel was still with me,” the blond explained quickly, trying to put his friend at ease.

“So this guy walks you home, just for another guy to show up to cook you dinner, and the guy… says nothing about this?” Noctis said skeptically, and Prompto couldn’t help the flush that overtook him.

“Samuel kind of texted me about it later, but I mean, I’d told him earlier that day I had a friend coming over,” Prompto explained with a shrug.

“So why’d he text you?”

“Why are you asking all of these questions? Holy shit,” Prompto whined, covering his face. He laughed though, so Noctis just persisted.

“Because it feels like a million years since we’ve hung out, just the two of us, and I like making you uncomfortable,” Noctis teased, reaching over to ruffle Prompto’s hair.

“He just texted me, saying Ignis looked familiar-”

“Because he’s my Chamberlain and is also in most public pictures of me?”

“That’s kinda what I told him, and he was like, ‘oh maybe that’s it.’ But yeah, other than that he seemed to be really chill about Ignis,” Prompto finally said, blowing out a breath forcefully as he tried to lessen his blush.

“Okay,” Noctis said finally. “I still don’t like the age gap.”

“Would you say that if I was dating Gladio?”

At that Noctis burst out laughing, clutching his middle. “Okay, so ignoring the fact that the only thing that seems to rev his engine is  _ duty  _ and  _ honour _ , no, I wouldn’t be as against it,” Noctis said with a shrug. “You and Gladio have known each other for years, and I personally trust Gladio. This guy? You’ve only known him for twenty-four hours and all he has going for him is a coffee date with a seventeen-year old he picked up at a gym.”

Prompto felt his heart sink a little at his friend’s condemnation of Samuel, but he had to admit Noctis had a point. “So, do you think I should call it off with him?”

Noctis sighed and started up his game. “I don’t know, man. I’m just stressed about anyone that comes near you, to be honest. Just… be careful, okay? Ask for help if you need it, or something. Don’t let it become a situation like Zara.”

“I know, Iggy’s already had this talk with me, and we figured something out,” Prompto said with a smile, feeling a little lighter inside at his friend’s approval, albeit reluctant.

* * *

Weeks went by, time spent between school, the gym, Noctis’ apartment, and nights in at home with Ignis teaching him how to cook his meals. Prompto had since moved to another phase, his food less about making him gain some weight, but instead maintain it with his workout regimen. Prompto was quite proud of himself, and was beginning to like what he saw in the mirror. Aside from the hideous stretch marks and sagging skin, he no longer looked sharp and angular. He would never look like Gladio, but he was starting to look powerful in his own right.

And then there were his dates with Samuel, which were amazing and extravagant, and the man took him somewhere new and interesting every time. Their first kiss had been on their second date, and it was perfect and romantic under the stars on a rooftop terrace restaurant in the middle of the Crown City. As he kissed Samuel, Prompto couldn’t help think how this is a man he could actually love, like say it and truly, honestly mean it.

On their fourth date, Samuel invited Prompto over to his apartment. It was a lavish, upscale affair in the heart of downtown, the huge windows offering stunning views of the Crown City surrounding them. 

Samuel sidled up behind Prompto as the young man took in the view, arms wrapping around the blond’s waist while he pressed an open, sucking kiss into his throat. Prompto couldn’t help the moan as the man worked on his pale skin, tipping his head back against Samuel’s shoulder. Panic flashed through him when Samuel reached for the button and fly of Prompto’s slacks, and he grabbed Samuel’s wrists tightly.

“Too fast?” Samuel asked against Prompto’s ear, and Prompto nodded, screwing his eyes shut in preparation for the anger. But Samuel only hummed and turned Prompto around so that his back was against the window, pressing into his space for more kisses, but his hands stayed on Prompto’s waist, above his shirt. “This okay?”

Prompto nodded breathlessly, his arms wrapping around Samuel’s neck as he was leaned into the cool glass at his back. He opened his mouth to accept Samuel’s tongue, pressing his own forward with a desire he hadn’t experienced before. Soon enough, Prompto’s leg was hitched up on Samuel’s hip as they ground against each other, moaning and panting into their sloppy kisses.

“Okay?” Samuel asked, and Prompto nodded, but he quickly began shaking his head when his lover reached for his fly again.

“Just this, please,” Prompto begged, flinching now that he was sure Samuel would get angry. He’d turned him down  _ twice _ already.

“Okay,” Samuel moaned, grinning as he moved against Prompto, pulling the seventeen-year old against him tighter. “This is perfect.”

Prompto’s stomach flipped as happiness flooded him, a laugh huffing across Samuel’s lips.

“I think I love you, Prompto,” Samuel murmured, pressing deeper into the kiss.

Prompto’s heart thudded in his chest, his body feeling weightless as he pressed against Samuel and whispered, “I think I love you, too.”

This was okay, Prompto celebrated. This was  _ perfect _ .

* * *

Prompto blinked in confusion when he opened the door to his apartment, looking over the terribly handsome man on his doorstep.

Of course, he knew immediately that it was Ignis. No one else could make a black leopard print button-down look  _ that _ good, but his hair was done  _ up _ , pulled away from his face and spiked with product. The sides were loosely slicked back as well, exposing so much more of his features, bringing to light just how sharp his cheekbones were, how elegant his jaw was, and how  _ green  _ his eyes actually were.

This was incredibly, and completely unfair.

Ignis cleared his throat after several moments of open gawking. “May I come in and get started? I unfortunately don’t have time to dally tonight.”

“Oh, shit, yeah, come in. I have uh, stuff to do after too,” Prompto stammered, blinking rapidly as a blush flooded his face, and he stepped back to allow Ignis passage. “So, uh, what’s with the hair?”

“An acquaintance invited me out to a queer club I used to frequent; Sapien. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?” Ignis supplied, glancing over his shoulder with a smile.

Prompto nodded quickly. “Yeah, Samuel used to go there all the time, too. Until we started going out, I mean. He said he wants to take me there as soon as I’m eighteen.”

“It’s a great place. A little too loud up in the club for my tastes, but there’s a quieter bar in the basement that is quite enjoyable most nights,” Ignis said, already getting to work on the produce. “Are you going out with Samuel tonight, then?”

“Yeah! He wants to take me to this uh, this ice cream place? At first it was supposed to be a dinner date, but I told him I had plans with you so we switched it up,” Prompto babbled, getting started on preparing the meat.

“You could have cancelled with me, Prompto. I would have understood.”

“And missed you looking like a  _ God _ ? Yeah right, Iggy,” Prompto laughed before flushing deeply and stammering, fumbling briefly with the kitchen knife. “And I mean, uhm, I also really enjoy these nights. I wish sometimes I could see Noct more often too, outside of school I mean.”

“You think I look like a God?” Ignis asked, and his voice was full of amusement. Because Prompto was apparently a giant masochist, he looked up to see the man smiling at him, all warm and gorgeous and  _ overwhelming _ with his hair up like that.

“That hairstyle looks  _ really  _ good on you,” Prompto admitted, returning the smile. “Like,  _ super  _ good. You should wear it like that all the time.”

“I will consider it,” Ignis laughed, and Prompto cherished the sound.

“So you said you  _ used  _ to frequent Sapien. Why’d you stop going?” the blond asked, returning to his task at hand.

“Other than assuming more responsibilities as Chamberlain now that Noctis is seventeen and taking on more responsibilities?” Ignis supplied.

“Well, duh.”

“There was an incident. I got involved in something, rumours spread, and it became entirely unpleasant for me to keep returning. My acquaintance has ensured me that no one involved goes to the club much, and there has been new drama recently to make everyone else forget.”

“Wow, that was a lot of words that told me next to nothing, but okay I’ll take it,” Prompto laughed, getting a pan out to get the meat cooking. “I’m sorry your club got ruined, though.”

“The club was not ruined, just the people in it made it unpleasant,” Ignis said. “I’m excited to be returning.”

“That’s good,” Prompto said, grinning at the meat sizzling before him on the stove-top.

Later that evening, as Prompto straddled Samuel’s lap in the backseat of his car, letting himself be kissed breathless, his mind wandered back to those moments in his kitchen. When he carded his fingers through Samuel’s red hair, he thought about Ignis, tragically handsome and  _ right there _ . 

“I love you,” Samuel whispered in Prompto’s ear before he moved to bite and suckle at the side of his throat, and the blond gasped. Not because of the flash of pleasure at the ministration, but at the hollowness in his chest at the proclamation, his thoughts turning on end.

“I love you, too,” Prompto responded, and it almost came out as a question, his chest aching as he imagined Ignis’ hands on him. Ignis’ mouth on him. At the moment he was too confused to feel guilty about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on [tumblr](http://hugprompto.tumblr.com) for tons of gay shit and ffxv, and also [twitter](http://twitter.com/thewrajth) for gayer shit and also ffxv.


	3. Samuel: Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where things get really rough. Please be wary, there is **sexual assault, sexual, mental, verbal, and physical abuse, as well as vague transphobia** in this chapter. Proceed with caution! But this chapter is the end of the bad! I promise! It's nothing but hurt/comfort and sweetness from here on out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Massive thanks to [Besin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Besin/pseuds/Besin) for being the bestest soundboard ever, as well as helping me edit this, even when I come off with a fucking 10k+ word chapter. Like holy moly.  
>   
> Also, thank you all for your patience, it is MOST appreciated. I just had a hell of a time with school and such. It will be a bit before the next update because again, school and shit. I have two finals coming up, plus a really important event at school I have to attend and such so yeah!  
> 

It was a few months later when Samuel’s patience began to wear thin. 

They were in his bed after eating an amazing dinner that Samuel prepared and watching a movie. They had been making out for the better part of thirty minutes.

Wordlessly, not even breaking the press of lips and tongues, Samuel had directed Prompto’s hand to the bulge in the front of his slacks. The blond couldn’t help the way he tensed.

“Sam-”

“Come on, Prompto, it's been months,” Samuel groaned, holding Prompto’s hand down as he ground into it.

Alarm bells were going off in his head as he tried to free his hand, pulling away from the insistent kiss that was trying to distract him. “I’m not ready-”

“Prom, babe, you have to get out of your comfort zone a little bit. I promise you’ll like it if you just let me help you, okay?”

This wasn’t about leaving his comfort zone though; this was a lot more than that. Prompto felt ready to vomit all over his partner, fear and panic claw through his gut. “Please, Samuel, I can’t-”

“Is this about sex, Prompto? Because we don’t have to have sex tonight. We don’t,” Samuel soothed, and Prompto felt himself calm down a little bit, nodding desperately, still trying to get his hand free. The grip on it, however, was bruising. “A hand job isn’t sex, babe. Neither is a blow job.”

“I’ve never done that, I’m-” Prompto began, but he was silenced by a kiss against his lips, Samuel’s tongue shoving inward, and the blond surrendered to it, riding it out even has his hand was being rutted into and he was about the crawl right out of his skin.

“I’ll teach you, I promise,” Samuel soothed, his other hand stroking Prompto’s face. “C’mon, Prom, please.”

For a moment the panic subsided enough that Prompto could think about how sucking Samuel off both satisfied the other man and did it in a way that Prompto didn’t have to undress. It would be easy, it would be done, and maybe he would even  _ like _ it. 

Either way, it would make Samuel happy, and Gods, did Prompto want to keep him. 

“O-okay,” Prompto whispered, his voice embarrassingly thin with his still present panic. He could hardly breathe past the lump in his throat but he wanted to  _ try _ . 

“That’s a good boy,” Samuel purred, one hand going to the back of Prompto’s head, pushing him down to face his groin. 

* * *

Prompto stared down at his phone as he sat at the bus stop, the unsent text seemingly glaring up at him. 

_ ‘the Chocobo is easily my 2nd fave animal’ _

He was embarrassed by how he must look; lips swollen and red from kissing, hair a mess from a firm fist in the back of it, and eyes watery from unshed tears. And on top of that, his mouth tasted bitter and salty still, his stomach roiling. His jaw fucking  _ hurt _ . He felt sick, literally and figuratively, and he was alone at the bus stop. 

What annoyed Prompto the most was he actually enjoyed blowing Samuel once he got into it; once the panic settled and he heard the pleased noises his boyfriend made. He took it as deep as he could, and even though he didn’t want to, he swallowed when Samuel came. Prompto could still feel the sharp pain in his scalp from when he tried to pull off, gagging as come hit his throat, and Samuel twisted his hair to hold him down. 

When he had finished, Samuel flopped back with a grin, letting go of Prompto’s hair. “Damn, that was pretty good for a virgin,” Samuel laughed. 

Prompto decided not to correct him on the virgin comment and instead moved up the bed to kiss Samuel. His heart sank when the man grimaced away from him. 

“Don’t kiss me with my cum in your mouth,” Samuel whined, rolling away from from Prompto. “That’s gross.”

Prompto felt it like a blow to the gut, tears springing to his eyes before he could stop them. He felt filthy now, used by Samuel. Guilt filled him at the thought though, and he rationalized that maybe it was preference, that it’s entirely likely that Prompto will feel the same when Samuel did that for him. 

“Oh fuck, look at the time. I have that thing with my father tomorrow morning,” Samuel groaned, rolling onto his back and covering his eyes. “That meeting. Shit, Prom, I’m sorry, you have to go home.”

“But I was spending the night,” Prompto said lamely, swallowing against the bitterness coating his tongue. 

“By the Six, Prompto,” Samuel snapped. “Plans change! Now come on, I need to get to bed.”

“I don’t think the bus runs this late-”

“Then get my wallet and take some cash for a cab or something!” the man snapped, getting out of the bed and locking himself in the bathroom. Prompto sat on the bed, listening to the sounds of the shower starting. 

Face burning, Prompto left the apartment without even looking for Samuel’s wallet, and an hour later he was still sitting at the bus stop, staring at his phone, trying not to cry. But this wasn’t an emergency, this wasn’t something he needed Ignis tripping over himself to come save him from. He was just bitter and sad that he didn’t get a kiss after giving a blow job.

“Grow the fuck up,” he muttered to himself as he deleted the text and rewrote it,   _ ‘hey dude, u up? I could use a ride home from Sam’s. Lol’ _

Prompto only had to wait a moment before Ignis returned the text. 

_ ‘Omw.’ _

He stared at the message for a good thirty seconds before he panicked, realizing suddenly all at once what he must look like. Prompto tried to check with the front-facing camera on his phone, but the lighting was too dark for it to be of any use. So he settled for running his hands through his hair until he thought it looked  _ less _ like sex hair, and hoped the puffiness around his eyes went down since the last he saw them in the mirror in Samuel’s foyer.

Ignis’ car pulled up to the curb twenty feet away and Prompto sprinted over to it.

“Everything okay?” Ignis asked as Prompto slid into the passenger seat, and Prompto felt regret pulse through him at calling him. The man had clearly been out, possibly at Sapien, because his hair was styled up, even as it sagged with the sweat that also dotted his brow, upper lip, and his throat. Not only had Prompto ruined his night out, but he’d also managed to put himself face to face with one of his fantasies. 

“Oh fuck, Iggy, you didn’t have to leave the club to come get me,” Prompto groaned, avoiding the lie he would have to say to answer Ignis’ question.

“I told you I would help you whenever I could. The club is not more important than you getting home safely,” Ignis replied, shifting gears and pulling away from the curb.

“You said that about the code phrase. If you’re going to drop things to come rescue me no matter what I text you, what’s the point of a code?” the blond chuckled, eyeing the unopened can of Ebony in the cupholder. “Hey, can I have that?”

Ignis raised an eyebrow after glancing where Prompto gestured. “I suppose. I hadn’t realized you liked Ebony.”

“I don’t,” Prompto responded before gulping down several mouthfuls, relieved that the nasty drink Ignis favoured did the trick in washing the taste of spunk off of his tongue. “I hate the stuff. I was just  _ really  _ thirsty.”

Ignis laughed. “And about the code, it’s meant for when you’re in company where it is not safe for you to say or text ‘please come get me’. If someone is monitoring your phone, or in the room with you. Also, had I been in a meeting with the King tonight when you texted me, I wouldn’t have been able to come immediately as I had.”

“Would you actually ditch the King for me, even with the code?” Prompto asked, tone full of sarcasm.

“I believe I said that I would come get you immediately unless I am literally out of the country, Prompto,” Ignis said, his words insistent and firm, and they made the blond feel overly warm and a little embarrassed. He was overwhelmed tonight, what with his evening with Samuel and then Ignis picking him up looking like he himself was in the middle of being ravished. 

Prompto didn’t want to think about what Ignis had been up to, hoping it was just dancing. 

“What were you doing out on the curb in the middle of the night, Prompto?” the Chamberlain finally asked.

“Samuel double-booked I guess. I was supposed to spend the night, but he has some big meeting with his dad tomorrow morning and had to get to bed,” Prompto explained, keeping his voice cheery, or at least he hoped it sounded cheery. “I forgot to grab some cash for a cab home.”

The other man made a thoughtful noise. “I can’t imagine why him having a meeting in the morning would make a difference in where  _ you  _ slept, given how late it already is.”

“So if you had a meeting with the King, or Noct, early in the morning that you forgot about-”

“I would not forget a meeting with the King.”

“Okay for this question, we’re pretending that you’re not, you know,  _ you _ for like five seconds,” Prompto huffed, blowing a raspberry when Ignis laughed. “So you forget this meeting, because you’re  _ human _ and don’t actually have a million scheduling apps dinging at you, and you have a lover over but suddenly remember the meeting the next morning, you wouldn’t tell him to go home?”

“Prompto, did Samuel kick you out in the middle of sex?” Ignis asked suddenly, turning his head fully to look at the blond briefly.

“No! No, Iggy. Shiva’s tits, we were done, just,” Prompto grumbled, covering his blushing face with both of his hands. “Nevermind.”

“No, I wouldn’t. At least not without being sure he got home safely. But again, I would have kept you-”

“Hypothetical ‘you’, right?” Prompto interrupted, his heart jumping into his throat and his stomach doing backflips.

“Of course,” Ignis said slowly, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. “Anyway, I would have kept y- my lover in my bed and set an earlier alarm to prepare suitable arrangements for them to get home in the morning.”

They lapsed into silence as they approached Prompto’s street, and the blond was already panicking about being left alone with his thoughts. He couldn’t just ask Ignis to stay without explaining how upset he actually was, and why, while also defending Samuel.

“Hey Iggy, do you kiss guys after they go down on you?” Prompto asked when the car stopped, picking at his nails. 

“Usually, yes. Depends entirely on the situation,” he responded, and Prompto could tell Ignis was watching him closely. “I suppose some people might have preferences against it. I’ve been with people who didn’t want the affection at all.”

“But like, you wouldn’t be disgusted by it if they did?”

“I make a point of not engaging in sexual acts that disgust me, and I insist on the same from my partners,” Ignis said. “If kissing is important to you, don’t do things that will make your partner not kiss you.”

Ignis was so concerned, his voice firm and convincing. It was becoming too much for Prompto to handle in his state of mind; he was going to do something he would deeply regret.

“Okay, well, I’ll let you head home. Thanks for the ride,” Prompto said quickly, opening his door and sliding to get out.

A gloved hand closed around his wrist lightly, stopping Prompto in his tracks. It was a loose grip, just enough to get his attention, not hold him down. The gentle touch of warmed leather was electric, Prompto’s nerves singing with the contact.

“Prompto, I’m always here if you need help,” Ignis said, insistent 

Prompto nodded mutely, swallowing thickly as he found his voice. “I know, Iggy. Thanks.”

He finished getting out of the car, gently shutting the passenger door before quickly shuffling inside his apartment. 

* * *

Prompto regretted refusing to give Samuel another blow job a couple months later when the ban on kisses became too much for him to handle any longer.

“Fuck, Prompto, your hand just isn’t  _ enough _ and you won’t let me fuck you,” Samuel complained, thrusting into the tight grip of Prompto’s fist.

“I like kissing you, though,” Prompto said softly, kissing along his boyfriend’s jaw and cheeks, trying to coax their lips back together.

“Shiva’s fucking  _ tits _ , Prompto,” Samuel growled, exasperation clear in his tone, and suddenly his hands were on the blond’s belt, undoing it swiftly, along with the button and fly of Prompto’s jeans.

“Samuel, wait-”

“Trust me,” Samuel demanded, fishing Prompto’s hard cock out of his boxers. The blond immediately stopped fighting, going still under his boyfriend’s hands and mouth, shuddering when Samuel crawled backward on the bed to swallow his cock.

Prompto gasped at the touch, groaning at the initial pleasure before the ministrations became too sharp, too single-minded. Samuel’s head bounced, his cheeks were hollowed, and everything became too much too quickly. It felt like only a couple seconds before Prompto was coming, a shattered cry leaving him as he tumbled over the edge into Samuel’s mouth.

The man wasted no time before pulling off and crawling back up the bed. Prompto sighed happily, dizzy with the speed of his orgasm, and opened his arms to accept his lover into his arms, his mouth parted for the kiss he so desperately wanted.

Samuel slotted against him perfectly, mouth opening against Prompto’s to push his tongue in. The blond had expected the salt, the bitterness, but he hadn’t thought to brace for a whole glob of spend to fill his mouth, rolling off Samuel’s tongue and slipping right to the back of Prompto’s throat. The blond actually gagged, and Samuel pulled back quickly pressing a palm against Prompto’s mouth, holding his mouth shut until the younger man swallowed.

“There. Did you like that?” Samuel growled as he pulled away and got off the bed, ignoring Prompto completely as the younger man coughed. “Now I’m pissed off.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Prompto managed around a gasp as his breathing evened out. 

“That’s not going to cut it, Prompto. Listen, I can’t just wait around for you to  _ grow up _ ,” Samuel shouted from the ensuite where he was brushing his teeth.

“Sam, please don’t,” Prompto began to beg, flinching back on the bed when his boyfriend reentered, looking no less angry.

“I have  _ needs _ that I can’t put off anymore. It has been  _ months _ , what are you even fucking waiting for?” Samuel spat, his hard cock tucked back away and obvious in the lap of his trousers. Prompto was about to do anything to just get Samuel to stop  _ yelling  _ at him.

“I just wanted to be ready-”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Prompto! What kind of childish-” Samuel interrupted himself to scrub his hands over his face harshly before lifting his gaze back to Prompto’s. “I mean, I’ve fucked a lot of virgins and none of them have been  _ this much  _ of a fucking idealistic prude.”

“I’m not a virgin!” Prompto finally snapped, even as fear of the other man curdled in his gut.

Samuel froze for a fraction of a second before letting out a cruel laugh. “You mean to tell me you’ve been teasing me for months and you aren’t even a  _ fucking  _ virgin?”

“I never said I was! You just assumed-”

“Get the fuck out of my apartment. You’ve wasted enough of my time  _ and  _ fucking money,” Samuel bit out, and Prompto felt gutted by the dismissal.

“Wait, Sam, don’t-” he began, voice trembling, and his begging filled him with shame, the humiliation it encompassing him. “Samuel, please, let me explain why! Please-”

“I told you to get out. I’m done listening to your shitty little excuses all the fucking time.”

The words silenced him as quickly as a slap would have, and Prompto stumbled off the bed in his haste to leave, not even tying his boots before exiting the apartment.

Down on the street, Prompto struggled to keep it together, waiting for his bus without pulling out his phone. He could hear the chime of Samuel’s ringtone, and he couldn’t take anymore of his ridicule until he was safe and at home. The bus ride went by in a blur, his mind going numb at some point until he got off at his stop, and he had to return to himself to walk the five minutes to his own apartment.

Finally pulling his phone out of his pocket, Prompto toyed with the idea of calling Ignis, something to get his mind off the hurt. But he deserved this. He wasn’t honest with Samuel. He didn’t even  _ try _ to explain his hang-ups about sex, his need to take things slow.

And more than that, he felt overwhelming guilt for how had it been Ignis taking him out, Ignis asking for sex, Ignis begging for more than just a hand on him, Prompto wouldn’t have even hesitated. He spent months with Samuel, telling him he loved him but putting him off, wasting his time, while he pined after Ignis like a  _ child _ . 

He deserved this because he didn’t give everything to Samuel, he didn’t even try.

* * *

It was two days later when Samuel showed up at Prompto’s apartment. 

The blond had been miserable, mulling over everything he’d done wrong, everything he could have done to keep Samuel. He knew the answer to that, but it made his stomach churn just to think about it. He just wasn’t ready, and he knew that made him pathetic.

Prompto was also avoiding Ignis. He had cancelled their dinner plans for that evening, needing some space from the man. His attraction to the Chamberlain was something he had to curb, and quickly if he ever hoped to be happy with Samuel. That was assuming Samuel would take him back.

Then there was that niggling feeling in the back of his mind that told him that Samuel didn’t actually break up with him, even if the man wasn’t returning any of his calls or text messages.

Prompto was laying on his couch in a pair of sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt, staring at the ceiling when there was a subdued knock on the front door. Sighing, the blond got up and shuffled over to the door.

“Iggy, I thought we cancelled-” he said as he opened the door, abruptly stopping when he found himself looking up at his boyfriend. Or ex-boyfriend. Prompto was still fuzzy on the details.

He blinked up at him, trying to read the man’s expression and to his horror, his sight went blurry with hot tears. “Sam?”

Prompto’s voice seemed to break whatever was keeping Samuel on the front stoop, because in the next moment, the blond was being all but carried into the apartment, strong arms wrapped around his middle, and a hot mouth on his own. Absently he heard the front door slam shut, but he was too surprised to actually care, his arms wrapping around Samuel’s neck instinctively. Prompto returned the kiss just as fervently, not really able to process what was happening.

Samuel pulled away from the kiss, glancing around the living space quickly before hauling Prompto over to the couch. He sat down and situated Prompto on his lap the way he liked before pressing forward for another searing kiss, his tongue pushing past Prompto’s lips. Prompto’s hands moved to card through Samuel’s hair, tangling in the red locks as he submitted to the hard kiss.

He didn’t realize his tears had actually begun to fall until Samuel pulled back from the kiss to wipe his face. “Shush, babe, it’s okay,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss Prompto again. “I’m sorry, I’m a terrible person.”

“You’re not,” Prompto quickly said, his voice coming out as more of sob, his relief palpable. “You’re not, Samuel. I should be saying sorry-”

“I shouldn’t have said those things like that,” Samuel insisted, pressing open-mouthed kisses to Prompto’s jaw and throat. “I was just so frustrated-”

“I know,” Prompto said, tipping his head back with another sob. “I’m so sorry.”

“I thought you didn’t  _ want _ me,” the man said sadly, pressing his face into the crook of Prompto’s throat.

“Gods, Samuel, that isn’t-”

“Shush, you don’t need to explain anything. I’ll wait however long you need, Prompto. I promise,” Samuel interrupted, lifting his head again to slot their mouths together.

Prompto’s chest grew tight, and he knew this was an offer toward compromise. This was how Prompto could work to keep Samuel, while also working toward giving Samuel what he needed to be happy.

With a determined huff, Prompto crawled off Samuel’s lap and knelt on the floor between his knees. He was fumbling with Samuel’s belt and fly when the man seemed to get the picture and started helping him.

“Prom, baby, you don’t have to do that,” Samuel said, even as he moaned and shifted until his cock was free. 

“I want to,” Prompto said, even as his stomach flipped uncomfortably. He would push past this for Samuel.

Prompto got Samuel off, swallowed what the man gave him, and stroked himself to completion as Samuel leaned down to press kisses into his brow, and Prompto tried not to be bothered by the way Samuel refused to kiss his mouth again. He tried not to be bothered with how quickly Samuel left after everything, and he tried to ignore the twisting in his gut until Samuel texted him a sweet  _ ‘good night :*’ _ .

* * *

The months after that passed in a blur, with entering university, peace talks beginning with Niflheim, and heightened combat training. Gladio had finally,  _ finally _ , admitted that teaching Prompto to use a sword of any kind was a lost cause and handed him a pair of guns as a last ditch effort to fit him into Noctis’ Crownsguard.

Lo and behold, this was apparently the answer because Prompto was  _ good _ with guns. Eerily good. A complete natural, as Gladio said. After a training session ended with everyone in the room watching Prompto obliterate targets (stationary, moving, and some outfitted to ‘attack’), Gladio bemoaned loudly about how much time he wasted, how many  _ years _ he spent trying to train the young man on literally every blade under the sun. The only thing he had shown any proficiency in had been daggers, and  _ only _ when he threw them. Anything too close-combat, and he was a sitting duck.

It felt amazing to be good at something. Better than good; he was phenomenal. He exuded confidence when he had a pair of guns in his hands, Better yet was the machinery, the large weapons that he got to play with only rarely. He didn’t get to keep any of it in his personal arsenal, unfortunately.

He still went to the gym, met with his trainer, and occasionally discussed diet changes with Glinda. As it was, his twice-weekly dinners with Ignis decreased to once-weekly, and again reduced to twice-monthly. Not to say that Prompto saw less of him. They were just running out of excuses to meet away from Gladio and Noctis. Ignis still renewed his gym membership when Prompto turned eighteen, claiming it was a birthday tradition now.

But in actuality, Prompto saw more of Ignis than he ever had, what with combat training every Wednesday and Sunday, on top of officially becoming Noctis’ bodyguard at school. He saw Ignis every morning and every afternoon, as being an official Crownsguard meant he got rides everywhere, so long as Noct was with him.

Along with his appointment came keys to not only Noctis’ apartment, but also Ignis’ and Gladio’s apartments. They were all also provided keys to  _ his _ , so that they had ready and easy access to each other at any given moment. Rarely were the keys ever used outside of prearranged meetings, but it was nice to have that security. There was also a traitorous part of Prompto that was thrilled that Ignis had a key to his apartment. There was even discussions of Prompto moving closer to the citadel, or moving into an apartment in Noctis’ building, but Prompto didn’t want to leave his parents’ apartment even emptier than it usually was.

And between everything, from combat training, meetings with his personal trainer, and his fully balanced diet, he was filling out. No longer where his limbs gangly and thin, or his ribs jutting out in places. He had hard, lean muscle now, and when he pressed his fingers into the sagging skin on his abdomen, he could feel the muscles there as well. Out of a bit of vanity, Prompto took to wearing sleeveless t-shirts, showing off his freckled arms. He also took to wearing more stylish black wrist-bands to cover the strange tattoo he had.

And things were going well with Samuel, for the most part. They would have blissful stretches of weeks or even a couple months where everything is going great, until Samuel moved too fast for Prompto, and the blond retreated again, and then Samuel would yell at him and kick him out. They always made-up within days, or even hours. But it was okay, because things were amazing when they were okay with each other.

* * *

It was a few months after he turned eighteen when he found himself staring at his savings account balance on his phone, blinking away the happy tears that came up. When he started on as an official part of of Noctis’ entourage, he also began receiving a sizeable paycheque, one that he knew he only needed a fraction of to happily survive throughout the month, so he had started tucking away larger sums of money twice a month. And now, after a few months, he had what should be enough for his surgery.

He was with Samuel, sitting on the couch in the man’s apartment, watching some crime procedural on the television when he compulsively checked it.

Eventually he had to put his phone down, wiping his eyes furiously and flushed when Samuel let out an alarmed noise.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” he asked, kissing Prompto’s wet cheeks.

“Nothing, nothing’s wrong just,” Prompto managed to get out, pulling away from Samuel to grab his phone again. “It’s just, uhm, the reason I don’t let you see me naked is, uhm, about to be fixed.”

Samuel freezes, his features going stoney, almost angry. “What does  _ that _ mean?” he asked, and suddenly Prompto’s tripping over his thoughts, trying to figure out what he said that was so  _ wrong _ .

“I-I mean, uhm, I’m getting surgery, cosmetic surgery I guess. Uhm, I’ve been saving up for y-years-”

“What  _ kind  _ of surgery, Prompto?” Samuel demanded, and now he really seemed angry, his features hard and dark.

“A tummy tuck!” the blond managed to squeak out, cowering away from his boyfriend. 

At that, Samuel started laughing, a good-natured, relieved laugh, his head tossed back. “Why the fuck do you need a tummy tuck, Prom?” Samuel asked when he finally settled his laughter down.

“I used to be, like, r-really fat so-”

“Yeah, right!” Samuel interrupted, laughing again. Annoyance flashed through Prompto, which he quickly squashed. Prompto didn’t have any pictures of himself from back then, and Samuel had only ever known him when he was fit.

With a huff, Prompto stood up and grabbed the hem of his tank-top. He felt nauseated as he yanked the shirt over his head, eyes screwing shut against Samuel’s reaction to his body. The silence stretched on forever until finally Samuel cleared his throat.

“Is this all that’s been bugging you, babe?”

Prompto opened his eyes to meet Samuel’s, and the man was smiling at him. There was something about his expression that Prompto couldn’t read, but the man was actually  _ looking at him _ . His eyes didn’t just dance past the rolls of stretched skin, or the silvery lines that arced up his hips, stomach, and chest. For a moment, Prompto felt like he was being strangled, but then he realized he was crying.

“What the fuck, Sam, this isn’t just some little thing,” Prompto snapped, and that was the hardest he’d ever spoken to the man. There was a flash of something around Samuel’s eyes, but it was gone just as quickly.

“It is, though,” Samuel insisted, reaching forward to run his hands along Prompto’s bared abdomen. The contact made Prompto’s skin crawl, and he stepped away from Samuel’s questing hands. Samuel made a disapproving sound and leaned further forward, grabbing Prompto’s hips and yanking him back into place in front of him. “This is  _ nothing _ , babe.”

“It’s not  _ nothing _ , Samuel. This has never been nothing to me,” Prompto whispered, his voice shaking. “You don’t understand what this is like, at all.”

“Maybe I don’t, but I know I love you, no matter what. You’re the most gorgeous person I’ve ever seen, even with this,” he said, running his fingertips along the loose skin. Prompto barely manages to hold in his reaction, biting his lip until it bleeds. “Especially this is beautiful, Prom.”

Prompto scoffed, rolling his eyes as he turned his head to look over at the kitchen. “Well, look your fill because I’m getting it dealt with as soon as I can,” Prompto said, chuckling darkly as he wiped away his tears.

“No, you aren’t,” Samuel said with a firmness that surprised Prompto. “Changing your body is dishonest. It’s a  _ lie _ .”

Prompto froze, eyes wide as he looked back down at Samuel. The man’s expression was so serious and almost angry, the blond chose not to respond. How was it a lie? It wasn’t dishonesty that made him want to get it fixed, it wasn’t out of desire to trick or deceive. His body felt like a cage, with sharp edges and hot pokers, and he wanted it fixed.

“This is your body as nature made it,” Samuel said insistently, guiding Prompto another step forward. “Keep it that way.”

“But I-”

“Prompto, this isn’t up for discussion,” Samuel snapped, his fingertips digging into Prompto’s sides hard enough they would likely leave bruises.

Something inside Prompto pulled tight, and the blond nodded lightly. Tears were springing to his eyes again, and he let out a small sob when Samuel kissed his abdomen. He wanted to pick his shirt up off the ground where he dropped it and put it on. He wanted Samuel to just stop  _ touching him _ there, but this was about compromise, again.

“You’re so beautiful, Prom,” Samuel groaned thickly, and Prompto screwed his eyes shut, willing himself to calm down.

* * *

Prompto was terrified when he invited Samuel over to his apartment. It was a rare thing, as it was a modest one, especially compared to the digs Samuel was used to, as well as less private. Really, the blond felt embarrassed about his home whenever his boyfriend came over and he always thought about how he should really do as Ignis frequently suggested and get something closer to the Citadel.

And Samuel didn’t really try to hide his distaste for the place, but today they had gone out for a late lunch, early dinner after a gym session and drank a little too much for Samuel to drive them to his own place. So Prompto insisted they come to his place to wait off the buzz.

But there was another edge to his fear though.

Over the last couple of months since Prompto finally let Samuel see his naked torso, Samuel had begun to push the limits on their sex life. He usually stripped the blond of his shirt, and sometimes his pants, and he would grab at his stomach and sides while they made out. The touches no longer made him flinch or want to vomit, but Prompto was no closer to being okay with his body as it was.

Samuel took his lack of resistance or reaction to being touched there as a success, however, and started hinting at more than humping and getting sucked off. Somehow, Prompto knew that today was going to be the day Samuel straight out asked for sex, and he was weighing the options.

Saying “no” would end with a fight, but saying yes…

Prompto hadn’t had sex with anyone since Zara, and he had never had sex with a man. He was sick to his stomach with worry about it, even as he walked home holding Samuel’s hand. Part of him tried to convince himself that being slightly tipsy would make this easier, but all it did was nauseate him further.

They barely got through the front door before Samuel crowded Prompto against it, their mouths slotted together and tongues meeting. Prompto fumbled with the lock, making sure the door was secure before grabbing Samuel’s shoulders with both hands and submitting completely. His stomach twisted when Samuel began tugging at the hem of his tank top, but he raised his arms and stepped back to allow the garment to come off.

Samuel tossed it away and instantly his hands were on Prompto’s abdomen, triggering waves a nausea within him. Swallowing down on his urge to gag, Prompto nudged at Samuel, urging the man a few paces and trying to guide him down the hall to his room. The man chuckled before grabbing the blond’s waist and spinning him so he was pressed against the wall, barely a few paces away from the door.

“Sam, bedroom,” Prompto gasped, even as he helped Samuel peel off his own shirt. Sometimes he felt marginally better when they were both in the same state of undress, but already Samuel was working on the button and fly of his skinny jeans. 

“ _ Mm _ , want you right here,” the man groaned, cursing when he realized that Prompto was still wearing his boots so his pants couldn’t come off. He only had the patience to kneel long enough to take off one of them before he was standing again to pull Prompto into another kiss. He shoved the blond’s pants down and Prompto obediently kicked them off his one leg. With that taken care of, Samuel coaxed Prompto’s legs up around his waist, pressing him hard against the wall with the kiss, hitching his pelvis forward to pin him even further.

Prompto shuddered, trapped in nothing but his grey underwear and the black denim dangling from his ankle, returning the near-vicious kiss breathlessly. 

He didn’t even register the sound of the lock clicking or the door creaking open until he saw movement over Samuel’s shoulder. Prompto’s eyes turned lazily in that direction, his body feverish and mind hazy, and belatedly he realized it was Ignis standing on the doorstep, face shocked at the sight that greeted him.

The blond wrenched back from the kiss with a gasp. “Iggy,” he squeaked out, and Samuel reared back to stare at Prompto with a look of rage so fierce Prompto cowered slightly. But then Prompto glanced over Samuel’s shoulder again and the man turned to face the trespasser. When Prompto tried to get out of Samuel’s grip and stand on his own feet, the man gave a warning squeeze around Prompto’s waist.

Prompto could see the way Samuel looked down at the deadbolt, seeing the other man’s keys still dangling from it. Samuel turned back to look at Prompto, his expression dark. It was a scary place, being pinned so completely when Samuel was that angry.

“Why does he have keys to your apartment when I don’t, Prompto?” Samuel bit out, and Prompto barely managed to clamp down on his urge to flinch.

“Apologies,” Ignis finally managed to say, and Samuel’s expression grew darker upon hearing the other man’s voice. “I was stopping by to drop off some paperwork-”

“Get the fuck out,” Samuel barked. His grip on Prompto’s hips tightened briefly; hard enough to leave bruises.

Ignis hesitated, nostrils flaring with an anger Prompto had never seen before. Prompto met his eyes and nodded slightly, trying to smile and reassure the Chamberlain. Ignis hesitated a moment longer, eyes narrowed behind his glasses, before nodding. “I will see you on Monday, then.”

As soon as they heard the door shut and the lock slide back into place, Samuel stepped back, allowing Prompto to lower his legs and stand finally. There was a long moment of silence where Prompto contemplated the merits of bending down to grab his shirt off the ground: if moving would incite Samuel’s temper or if it even really mattered at this point. He felt ridiculous standing in the small foyer of his apartment in nothing but his underwear with his pants around one ankle.

“Why the  _ fuck  _ does some other guy have a key to your apartment, Prompto?” Samuel finally ground out, arms crossed over his chest. “Are you fucking Ignis?”

“W-what, no! He’s not- he wouldn’t,” Prompto paused, trying to gather his frantic thoughts. “Ignis isn’t like that.”

“But you wish he was,” Samuel stated and Prompto flinched, the statement hitting too close and he couldn’t come up with a half-truth to smooth it over. “You want to fuck him, don’t you?” he further accused, and the blond started to wish the man was yelling at him. He knew what to expect when Samuel was yelling, he just had to wait it out. This was entirely new, this calm rage.

“I-I don’t, I mean he’s-” Prompto was flushing deeply, screwing his eyes shut as he saw something new dawn on Samuel.

“You’re in love with him.”

“I love  _ you _ , Samuel. I’m with  _ you _ !” Prompto shouted earnestly, his voice slicing through the quiet tension. He flinched at how loud he sounded, finally lifting his gaze to meet his boyfriend’s eyes. Something broke in the blond when Samuel only scoffed.

“Then why the fuck does he have a key and I don’t?” the man asked, his voice chilly.

“Why don’t I have a key to your apartment if it’s this big of a deal to you?” Prompto asked, flinching as he realized his mistake.

“Don’t fucking turn this around on me when you’re in love with another man who  _ has a key _ to your apartment, Prompto,” Samuel growled.

“It’s for work,” Prompto said quickly, slumping against the wall and ducking his head. “I have keys for his and Gladio’s apartments as well, so we can get in easily without fuss. It’s nothing like… Like  _ that _ .”

“But you’re still in love with him, you still want to-” Samuel stopped himself before he could finish, making an angry, scoffing noise in the back of his throat as he looked away. “I can’t believe you would do this to me.”

“But Sam, I haven’t done anything like- I would never cheat on you! I love you, I want  _ you _ ,” Prompto insisted again, hot tears filling his eyes. Everything was falling apart because he couldn’t shake some childish crush. Everything was getting ruined because he tried to split himself between Samuel and whatever he could get from Ignis. He fucked everything up and he desperately wanted to fix it.

Prompto stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Samuel’s waist, pressing his face into Samuel’s face. “I’m sorry. I love you.”

“I don’t believe you,” Samuel said flatly and something cold settled into Prompto’s chest, a vague sense of deja vu.

“I don’t know how to get you to believe me,” Prompto said softly, lifting his head to meet Samuel’s eyes. “I… I can show you. Would that help?”

Samuel’s expression shifted minutely, the edges of his anger softening slightly. “What does that mean?” he asked, voice tight but easing into its normal cadence.

“W-what do you want?” Prompto asked, and perhaps he was hoping that Samuel might respond with something that he was more or less comfortable with, something that didn’t make him want to claw out of his skin.

Samuel huffed out a laugh, and crowded Prompto back against the wall. “You know what I want, Prompto,” he said and finally the last of his anger left him, and Prompto tried to feel relieved.

* * *

Prompto stood in his bathroom, naked and pink after a scalding shower, and stared at his phone.

_ ‘What is your opinion on Chocobos?’ _

He hesitated as he considered the text, chewing his lip as he actually contemplated the question. It was asked a couple hours ago, while he and Samuel were in Prompto’s bed, so responding in code would technically be unnecessary. Prompto recognized that he  _ had  _ to answer, though. Ignis was probably worried sick.

_ ‘Chocobos are and always have been the best animals ever.’ _

Prompto sent the text and dropped the device on the countertop, gripping the edge of the counter as he leaned over the sink and forced himself to breathe. His skin was still crawling, feeling dirty and tainted even after scrubbing himself raw.

He had hoped by now sex didn’t make him feel this way. He had hoped he’d grown from the scared and lonely child he was when he was with Zara. 

Samuel was different, Prompto had reasoned with himself earlier when the man lowered him onto the bed. The older man insisted on keeping the lights on, insisted on touching Prompto, looking at Prompto, everything Zara tried to ignore. It was different, he had thought desperately as he was stripped completely.

There was a moment though when Prompto thought Samuel might lose his temper again, when he was too tense to allow his boyfriend’s questing fingers into his body.

“C’mon, Prom, you hafta relax,” Samuel said sternly as he slicked his fingers again with more lube. Returning his fingertips to Prompto’s hole, he massaged and pressed, letting out an exasperated noise when Prompto clenched again.

“I’m sorry, I’ve just- I’ve never done  _ that _ ,” Prompto whimpered, eyes screwed shut as he waited for Samuel’s anger.

“Okay, then you do me. Not really the way I wanted it, but I can’t fuck you when your coiled up like this,” Samuel said, his tone vaguely annoyed in a way that had humiliation twisting inside Prompto.

The man guided him through the preparation and the act itself, a constant litany of verbal instructions that had Prompto feeling frustrated and useless. Not once did Samuel stop talking him through everything, and when they laid on the bed – sweaty, spent, and breathless – the man chuckled.

“That wasn’t half bad for a virgin,” Samuel laughed and he got up to start fetching his clothing.

“‘M not a virgin, Sam,” Prompto protested weakly. “I’ve told you before.”

“Fucking girls doesn’t count, Prom,” Samuel dismissed with a wave and another laugh.

“What does that mean?” the blond asked, propping himself up on his elbows to look back at Samuel. “It’s not like I wasn’t attracted to them.”

“What,” Samuel snapped suddenly, turning a heavy glare on Prompto, “are you telling me you wanna fuck broads, too? Not just your precious Iggy?”

The blond flinched. “N-no, no I wasn’t, I’m sorry.”

Samuel let out a long-suffering sigh and smacked Prompto’s bare ass, pulling a squeak from the young man. “No, no, I suppose you’ve apologized enough, and that was a pretty good time,” the man said, rubbing the growing pinkness on Prompto’s ass. “I need to get going here. But real quick; why don’t I have a key to your apartment, Prom?”

“My job, mostly,” Prompto responded, sitting up to face his boyfriend as he got dressed, pulling his pillow onto his lap to cover his stomach. “I usually have sensitive information around the apartment that not just anyone can be trusted to see. You’d be put through a rigorous vetting process where they would look into your history, your father’s company, who your father did deals with, how close his businesses deal with enemies, stuff like that.”

“That’s shitty. How do the Crownsguard date or settle down?” Samuel scoffed, pulling on his shirt.

Prompto shrugged and avoided the truth; if the members of the Crownsguard wanted to settle down, they looked at other members. They didn’t date outside of the order. Prompto continuing his relationship with Samuel alone was a security risk that was only allowed to continue because Noctis had made an exception for his best friend.

Samuel had left quickly after that, and Prompto immediately stumbled into the shower, the hot water on high and his loufa already soaped up and scrubbing mercilessly at his skin.

_ ‘We need to talk about what happened.’ _

The text shattered through Prompto’s thoughts. Prompto didn’t  _ want  _ to talk about it, and after that whole afternoon with Samuel, the blond wasn’t sure how much alone time with Ignis would be wise. He needed this crush done and over with if Samuel was to ever trust or love him again. 

With a heavy sigh, he tapped out a quick  _ ‘everything is fine. We handled it. I don’t need to talk about anything.’ _

There was a stretch of silence until his phone chimed again with a simple  _ ‘okay.’ _

The shortness of the text, the easy obedience from Ignis, broke something inside Prompto’s chest and he curled in on himself, sitting down on the floor in his humid little bathroom.

* * *

Prompto felt sick to his stomach on the morning of his nineteenth birthday. The overnight bag next to the front door had him chewing his lip while he made himself breakfast, and he had to force his meal down as Samuel’s text notification chirped from his phone.

The man had made all of these arrangements for his birthday, involving a weekend at the Galdin Quay, and the thought of being so far away from the Crown City for two days had him in knots. Samuel had wanted it to be a secret, but Prompto said that anything that involved leaving the city had to be approved by his higher-ups. There was actually a moment where he prayed that the excursion  _ wouldn’t  _ be approved, but then it was and Prompto was given the time off he needed for it.

He had lunch with his friends, spending a blissful two hours laughing and celebrating. This was the first time in years the four of them were actually able to sit down together on the actual day, and Prompto was grateful for the distraction. If he had had to sit around in his apartment alone until Samuel came to pick him up, he would have lost his mind with nerves.

At one in the afternoon, Samuel picked him up. Things were tense between Prompto’s friends and his boyfriend, especially with Ignis, but they all managed to be civil about things. The blond could feel his lunch churning in his gut now.

As Prompto grabbed his overnight bag and said his goodbyes to his friends at the curb, Noctis turned his attention on Samuel. “You’re allowed to take him outside the city, but he’s still expected to be reporting in,” he says simply, eyebrow raised as if expecting a challenge.

“Of course, your Highness,” Samuel responded politely, bowing slightly before ushering the blond toward the car. “C’mon, Prom. I have a reservation we shouldn’t be late for.”

“Prompto, a word please,” Ignis said suddenly, gesturing with his head for Prompto to break off from the group a few paces.

“What’s up, Iggy?” Prompto asked, chest tightening as he looked up at him.

“Two things, really. I’ve slipped a gift into your bag. I bought it for you on a whim, and I may have overdone it a bit. I guessed that you might appreciate opening it away from everybody,” Ignis explained, maintaining eye contact.

“Is it a dirty gift?” Prompto teased, relishing in the flush that rose to Ignis’ cheeks.

“Hardly,” Ignis chuckled, clearing his throat lightly. “Secondly, how do you feel about chocobos?”

Prompto blinked up at the Chamberlain, and for a moment he actually considered responding with the code. There was a terrifying moment where Prompto felt like the right thing to do in this moment was to end this trip before it even began. There was nothing but dread in his gut, anxiety twisting him up inside, and he was relieved that Ignis had thought to ask.

But then he thought about how much work Samuel put into making this happen. How much  _ money _ the man poured into it – into  _ him _ .

Pulling his face into a bright smile, Prompto said, “chocobos are the best, Ignis. You know that.”

Ignis didn’t look convinced, but the man hardly looked convinced of anything Prompto said lately. His skepticism was fair, since most things Prompto said were lies and half-truths. “Of course,” Ignis finally said, gesturing with his hand for the blond to return to his waiting boyfriend.

Samuel looked sour, pausing to glare briefly at Ignis before walking around the vehicle to the driver’s side door. Prompto gave one final wave before slipping into the passenger seat, buckling in for the three-hour drive ahead of them.

They arrived at the Galdin Quay at just after four, stumbling out of the car and shaking out their legs. Samuel laughed when Prompto tripped and fell against him, and the blond grinned when the man wrapped his arm around his shoulders. They strode down the long dock, their bags in hand and their bodies pressed flush against one another. Prompto already felt silly about being so nervous.

He stared out at the ocean in awe from where he stood in the middle of their room, contemplating going out onto the deck. Prompto was supposed to be getting ready though, as they had a reservation at the restaurant in a little over forty-five minutes, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of the water.

“You’d better be getting changed, Prompto!” Samuel called from the ensuite, and Prompto jumped, hurrying over to his bag.

Unzipping it, he was surprised to find a decorated box at the top until he remembered Ignis’ gift. Heart stuttering in his chest, the blond tore at the paper and opened the present, letting out a shocked gasp as he stared down at the fancy camera inside.

It was the camera Prompto had always wanted but could never justify buying, even after his raise and the end of his aspirations for surgery. He felt happy tears rise up as he stared down at the device, reaching out to touch it before snatching his hand back when the bathroom door opened again.

Prompto quickly sat down on the edge of the bed and hid the camera behind his back, stressed anew.

“You haven’t even changed,” Samuel said, but there was a chuckle in his tone, and Prompto was startled when the man knelt before him. “I want to talk to you about something, Prom.”

Prompto stared down at his boyfriend, eyes wide as a new sense of dread sunk into his stomach. He wanted to shake his head, wanted to wrench his hand away when Samuel grabbed it. Prompto wanted to dive for his phone, to text for help, which made him feel silly and childish.

“Prom, we’ve been together for almost two years, and I think,” Samuel began, meeting Prompto’s eyes while he slid a simple, silver band over his ring-finger. “I mean, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I was going to ask you at dinner, but you don’t like public displays, right?”

The blond gaped at Samuel, and then at the ring, his mouth working wordlessly for several moments before something settled beneath his ribs and he shook his head. “I’m only nineteen, Sam, I don’t- I’m not-”

“If you say you’re not ready  _ again _ , Prom, I swear by the Six you’re going to regret it,” Samuel snapped, and Prompto knew immediately he had fucked up terribly. Worse than he ever had. “We have been together for  _ two years _ , Prompto! I’ve done so much for you, we’ve done so much  _ together _ ! What could you possibly  _ need _ to be ready?”

“I-I don’t know, Samuel, I just, you caught me off guard, I’m sorry,” Prompto babbled but Samuel was laughing already, cold and cruel.

“You really thought I was just taking you out here for your birthday?” Samuel’s laughter only became more cruel when Prompto dipped his head with shame and embarrassment. “I cannot believe how selfish you still are, that you thought I actually spent  _ this much money _ on just your birthday.”

“We’ve never even  _ talked _ about this, Sam,” Prompto defended himself quickly, his voice getting sharper. 

“We shouldn’t have to talk about this after two fucking years, Prompto,” the older man growled, climbing to his feet to tower over the blond. His eyes flickered to a spot on the bed behind Prompto and he froze. “What is that?”

Prompto didn’t dare turn to look. He knew what Samuel was looking at, he knew what the man was talking about. At the moment, the blond just wanted to keep his eyes on his boyfriend, dread turning to cold fear as Samuel’s face twisted in rage.

“I-it was one of my presents. They put i-it in my bag to surprise me-”

“Who gave it to you.” The way Samuel said it made it a statement, not a question. He knew the answer, but he wanted Prompto to say it.

Prompto stayed quiet, hoping maybe to wait out this roll of rage. They could both calm down, breathe, go to dinner and sort this all out after. He begged the six, begged them to let this stop. He needed his phone, and it sat on table by the patio doors.

“Who gave it to you, Prompto.” Samuel snarled, and Prompto was slow to realize the man had lunged at him. One large palm grabbed him by the side of his head and face with a resounding  _ smack _ , and he shoved Prompto out of the way. The blond was still recovering from his equilibrium being upended, as well as the hot pain blooming across his cheek and ear, when Samuel picked up the camera and the card.

“Sam, no-”

“Shut up, whore,” Samuel snapped, ripping open the envelope and pulling out the card. Prompto slowly sat up, terror curdling his insides. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to read the contents, and he had no idea how much Ignis would have said in such a thing. He knew the moment when Samuel read the name because the card was quickly reduced to a pile of ripped up little pieces next to him on the bed. 

“You and that  _ fucking  _ ponce. It’s always him, isn’t it? See, if you had a torch for the Prince, that is understandable. Even Gladio. But fucking  _ Ignis _ ?” Samuel spat, leaning down low so he was right in Prompto’s face. “You think a guy like him would even fucking  _ look  _ at you the way I do? Would even fucking want you after seeing your body like I do?”

Prompto looked away from the man’s face, the words landing and causing the intended damage, looking instead at the camera Samuel still clutched in his hands. Samuel’s grip was excessively tight; Prompto could hear the workings protest at the outside pressure. He opened his mouth to beg Samuel to stop, that Samuel was going to  _ break  _ it, and suddenly the man was letting out a wordless shout of rage and began storming away.

“Sam, don’t-” Prompto began, begging already as he stumbled to follow Samuel. The man let out another guttural noise and the blond all but wailed as he watched the camera get smashed against the stone tabletop of the patio set.

The entire world narrowed on that moment, and something strained tight finally snapped inside Prompto. Samuel had never done this, never destroyed something, never hit him. This was past what he could take and part of him hated himself for letting it get to this point. Something became crystal clear, about how this exact moment was an inevitability, and he shattered completely.

Prompto hardly registered when he was shoved back, a hand wound tight in his hair as he was screamed at. The blond wasn’t even listening to the words, just trying to think of how to get to his phone so he could call for help. Maybe the hotel would interfere if Samuel kept it up this loud.

Then Samuel smacked him again, and Prompto reached for his guns, about to draw them and- the blond abruptly stopped, horrified at himself, at his instinct.

Not even thirty seconds later, Prompto’s phone went off, a cheery tone he set for Ignis. Relief flooded Prompto when this was enough for Samuel to release him. To his dismay, Samuel snatched the device up and answered it.

“Hey Ignis, yeah Prom’s just coming out of the shower… we got a little, uh, carried away with the romantic atmosphere out here and Prom had to clean up before our dinner reservation,” Samuel lied smoothly, chuckling warmly. “Yeah, yeah, totally. Oh, before I hand you over, I want to apologize. I didn’t know you’d put something in Prom’s bag, so I wasn’t all that gentle with it. I’m afraid the gift you got ‘im got wrecked. I’m really sorry, man. It must’ve cost a fortune.”

Something twisted in Prompto’s chest and tears sprung to his eyes, somehow the first since this whole ordeal began. When Samuel smirked, the blond knew that that was his intention.

“Ah, here he is. Hey, babe, it’s Ignis,” Samuel said, tone going sweet and tender as he crossed the room toward him, holding the phone out.

Prompto took the phone gratefully and placed it against his ear, flinching when Samuel shoved past him to sit down on the bed.

“Hey Iggy,” Prompto said, trying to make his voice cheery for Samuel to hear.

“Prompto,” Ignis said, his voice so painfully relieved that Prompto was confused for a moment before he dismissed it. 

“What’s going on over there?” Prompto asked, acting like he was doing one of his check-ins, even though he wanted nothing more than to beg for Ignis to come get him. With Samuel watching though, he had to be careful.

“Prompto, we felt you try for your weapons. When Samuel answered instead of you…” Ignis drifted off. “Is everything-”

“Fuck chocobos, man,” Prompto said with a laugh, trying to play it off as a reaction to something funny Ignis told him, and it seemed to work when Samuel visibly relaxed over the course of his conversation with Ignis. Relief flooded him when he heard the sound of a car starting up on the other end.

“I’ll be there as quick as I can. Do not hesitate to call the hotel or the local hunters for help in the meantime,” Ignis said quickly and curtly, 

“Okay, see you on Monday,” Prompto said, hanging up. Samuel stuck his hand out, expectant, and didn’t lower it until Prompto placed the phone in his palm.

“You’re a fucking wreck,” Samuel spat, his foul mood returning as he stood back up, pocketing Prompto’s phone. “You’re going to stay here while I eat. You think about how you will  _ actually _ answer.”

The man was nearly out the door when he looked back at Prompto. “If you leave this room, I will make you regret it.”

When the blond was finally alone, the slam of the door still ringing in the room. He sat down on the edge of the bed, staring down at his hands, clenching his fingers into fists. The ring was still on his finger and for a moment he considered taking it off and throwing it in the ocean.

The pain in his cheek stopped him though, the ache a reminder of what Samuel was capable of. Prompto couldn’t risk Samuel coming back and seeing the ring gone, or lying on the table. Glancing out the glass, patio door, Prompto could see the broken camera, the shattered lens glittering on the tabletop.

There was a sharp pain in Prompto’s throat until he let out a sob, tears suddenly streaming down his cheeks, dripping off of his chin. Pressing the heels of his palms to his eyes, the blond fell back on the bed, broken sounds leaving him as he cried, his breathing laboured. Black spots burst in his vision, his breathing frantic when he imagined Samuel coming back and seeing him like this, about what would happen if Samuel got back before Ignis arrived.

He tried to stop thinking about it, tried to focus on the fact that Ignis was coming for him. That was all that mattered, that in less than four hours, he would be safe. That was all he had to hold onto.

* * *

Prompto awoke to the door of the hotel room slamming open.

It took the blond several seconds to come back to himself, to remember passing out as complete exhaustion overtook him. He puzzled over how puffy his eyes felt, how sore his throat was, and there was pain along the side of his face that he couldn’t remember just yet how it came to be. 

Then, all at once, he remembered everything about the afternoon.

For a second he thought it was Ignis banging through the door that had woken him up. Prompto rolled over and was disappointed. Dread settled into his gut when Samuel stumbled in, his gait halting and drunk. Looking at the time, Prompto was relieved that at least two and a half hours had passed, meaning Ignis should be close behind.

In the meantime, he had a very drunk Samuel to contend with. He hadn’t even paused to shut the door to their suite properly.

The man was already on the bed before Prompto could get his waking limbs to move. Big hands were around his waist, a hot mouth on his throat. Nausea rocketed through Prompto, and he yanked away.

“No,” Prompto said firmly, pushing Samuel off with surprising ease and sitting up. He was shocked to see the tears on Samuel’s face, shame and guilt filling him before he could stop it.

“I’m so sorry, Prom,” Samuel sobbed, reaching out to touch the blond, but the younger man was already flinching away. “Gods, I hope that’s not a black eye. I’m such a fucking terrible person.”

Prompto reached up to probe at his face, grimacing at the tenderness around the outside of his eye where he was hit earlier. Ignis was going to kill Samuel if he was actually bruised, and Prompto wasn’t entirely sure at the moment if he would stop the Chamberlain. Another wave of guilt washed through Prompto, which he was slower to squash.

It was difficult to stay angry and righteous with Samuel openly sobbing in front of him like he was. Prompto briefly imagined Gladio yelling at him for the guilt, Noctis turning sharp and petty, Ignis’ vaguely disappointed look.

“Prompto, I know you want to leave me, I would too, just please,” Samuel was begging, crawling forward to corner the blond against the headboard. “I love you, I  _ need _ you, Prom. I can’t do this without you. Please.”

“Get off of me,” Prompto bit out, even as he felt his resolve crumbling. “I-I don’t want you touching me.”

“Please, baby, let me make it up to you,” Samuel begged, pressing his mouth against Prompto’s cheek when the blond turned his lips away. Prompto wanted to gag, fruitlessly pushing at his chest. The man had obviously only allowed himself to be pushed away the first time; now Prompto was trapped.

“Get off,” the blond gasped, terror running cold through his veins as Samuel started fumbling at the fastenings of his jeans. There was no way he was going to get out of this without violence, as he was much shorter than Samuel, and several pounds lighter.

He was reaching for his guns when the door was pushed open again and Ignis stormed in, walking over to the bed and hauling Samuel off by the collar of his shirt. Prompto gaped at the Chamberlain; his hair was styled up but falling apart, windswept and damp with sweat. Ignis’ chest was rising and falling quickly, as if he had been running, and he glanced between the man that now sat at his feet on the floor and Prompto on the bed.

Prompto could tell when Ignis noticed the bruise on his cheek and eye by the way he  _ felt _ Ignis reach for his daggers.

“Iggy, don’t!” Prompto blurted, shaking his head. “He doesn’t deserve it.”

“I disagree,” Ignis said, and the blond was alarmed at how he sounded, savage and cruel.

“Fine, he isn’t  _ worth _ it. He’s not. Just, take me home,” Prompto amended, crawling off the bed and grabbing his bag from the foot of it.

Samuel finally sluggishly looked up and confusion broke across his drunken expression. “Sue?”

Prompto could see Ignis tense, the older man’s face bewildered before an understanding dawned on him. The Chamberlain was already rolling his eyes. “I should have guessed you were part of that little group. Unfortunate that you haven’t managed to come up with a more clever nickname for me in two years,” Ignis said with a long-suffering sigh.

“Oh shit, no, you’ve gotta be kidding me,” Samuel slurred, laughing from the floor. “You’re telling me that Ignis… is Sue? Shiva’s tits, I knew I recognized you from somewhere.”

“It’s time to go, Prompto,” Ignis said, his face twisting with discomfort. Prompto was utterly confused by the exchange, but his friend was clearly becoming distressed so he asked nothing and nodded. He would talk to Ignis later, if it was even that important.

Prompto was following Ignis out the door when he heard a thump and Samuel shout from the floor behind them, “Give me a call when you realize you want a  _ real _ man, Prompto.” Prompto turned to look at him, and saw his phone lying on the ground only a few feet away. The man made no effort to rise when the blond stooped to pick the device up, just stared at him dazedly, that infuriating drunk smile on his lips.

The door slammed shut behind them, and he was guided out of the hotel and onto the dock. Prompto let the arm around his shoulders lead him, his mind still. He vaguely registered arriving at Ignis’ car, only snapping out of his reverie when Ignis opened the passenger door.

“We have to go, unless you want to stay in the trailer on the outskirts over there?” Ignis said softly when the blond didn’t immediately get in the car. Prompto shook his head quickly and sat down, letting Ignis take his bag from his hands. He sluggishly buckled himself in and leaned against his window waiting as Ignis deposited his bag in the trunk before sliding smoothly into the driver’s seat. Relief finally trickled into Prompto’s veins as the car started and pulled out.

The sun was almost set. They would only make it as far as Longwythe before they were forced to stop for the night. Prompto grimaced at how much of an inconvenience it must have been. Not only for Ignis, but Noctis as well. That Ignis had to drive all the way out to Galdin Quay and stay in a shady motel because Prompto couldn’t take care of himself.

Nausea hit him and he was scrambling for the door. “I need to get out,” Prompto gasped, and Ignis was already pulling over.

Prompto all but fell out of the car when he opened the door, and he scrambled over to the bushes in the ditch, his body heaving but nothing coming up. He stood there for a few minutes, hunched over the dry brush and fighting back the tears that had sprung back to his eyes.

He turned back to the car, cursing internally to see Ignis standing only a few feet away from him. There was some hope that Ignis would have stayed in the vehicle.

As he walked the few paces back to the car, Ignis reached out to touch his arm lightly. “Are you alright, Prompto?” Ignis asked gently, his thumb stroking the freckles on Prompto’s biceps.

The blond tried to laugh; tried to nod. Tried to do something that spoke to the person he used to be before all of this. But all that came out was a watery chuckle, just that side of hysterical.

At the small sound, Ignis pulled the younger man into a tight embrace, holding him as Prompto began sobbing into his chest. A gloved hand slipped into Prompto’s hair at the back of his head, and he melted against Ignis, trying to breathe through his tears. His own hands were twisted in the fabric of Ignis’ shirt, clinging to the man desperately while he cried and Ignis allowed it. More than allowed it; his other arm was wrapped tightly around Prompto’s waist, cradling the younger man as tight as Prompto needed.

Slowly, Ignis pulled away, making a quiet  _ shush _ ing noise when Prompto began to protest. “It’s getting dark, Prompto. I have no equipment to set up at a haven, so we have to push on until Longwythe, okay?” Ignis explained, guiding Prompto out of the embrace and back into the car.

The swirling thoughts began to surge up again, nausea roiling in Prompto’s gut again. He was ready to dive out of the vehicle when Ignis slid into the driver’s seat and pulled away from the curb. The older man, as if sensing Prompto’s shift back into dangerous mental territory, reached across the center console and lightly took the blond’s hand.

And just like that, the thoughts settled down, even if only for a few minutes. He was safe; truly, honestly safe. Ignis had come for him, and he was going home. He was going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all for reading! Please leave a comment or two if you would like. You can find me on [tumblr](http://hugprompto.tumblr.com) and [twitter](http://twitter.com/thewrajth). Please come on by and bug me ;D


	4. Ignis: Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Trigger warning:** discussions of sexual and verbal abuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so three things I want to address right off the bat:  
>   
>   
>  **Besin:** Is the best and a trooper through this whole fic for sure. Holy shit.  
>   
>  **Their weapons:** It is a personal headcanon of mine that, due to the different nature of Noctis' magic and such, the Chocobros can kinda feel when the others are pulling something from the armory etc etc.  
>   
>  **Iggy being trans:** It was suggested to me that I write Prompto being trans when I was first playing at writing this fic, and because of how strongly I identify with Prompto, I was afraid it would be too intense to be writing about not only my abuse AND my body issues pertaining to being fat and having stretchmarks, but also my trans-ness? So I decided to make Ignis trans in this fic, to allow some distance, but also have a bit of an outlet. **How Ignis is about his trans-ness from here on out is essentially how I am/wish I could be.**  
>   
>  THANK YOU!  
> 

Prompto jolted awake. The hand in his was pulling away, and he reflexively squeezed his fist tight. The blond heard a hiss of pain, and the hand stopped moving. When it settled in Prompto’s grip, he slowly relaxed.

As he took in his surroundings, everything slowly came back to him.

It had only been a forty-minute drive to Longwythe. Prompto had fallen asleep though, lulled by the gentle stroking of Ignis’ thumb along the side of his palm. Now the man sat next to him, patiently waiting for Prompto to say something. Outside, a bright motel sign glared down at him, making him squint.

“Prompto, are you ready to head inside, or would you like to sit here for a bit?” Ignis quietly urged, leaning closer to the blond.

“No, we can head in, I just…” Prompto trailed off, embarrassed as he released Ignis’ hand.

They both got out of the car and made their way to the front desk to procure a room. The accommodations were blessedly cleaner than the facade seemed to suggest, and there were two separate beds. There was also a private bathroom, much to Prompto’s relief.

As they looked around their room, Prompto’s stomach let out a mighty growl. Ignis raised an eyebrow at the blond, the expression pulling a sheepish laugh from the younger man.

“Sorry, I just realized I haven’t eaten since lunch,” Prompto groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face.

“Here, Prompto,” Ignis began, guiding him toward the bathroom. “How about you wash up, and I will figure out something for us to eat.”

Prompto nodded quickly and grabbed his bag, slipping into the bathroom. 

His shower didn’t last long, the hot water running out long before he was even close to completing his scrub-down ritual. It was something he desperately needed to do, but he began to shiver too violently. With an exhausted sigh, the blond dried off and pulled on his sleep clothes, rejoining Ignis in the room. 

He eyed the two take-out boxes emblazoned with the Crow’s Nest logo on top the dresser, his mouth watering. Prompto turned to look for Ignis, finding him sitting on the far bed facing the window. 

After a couple moments of confusion, Prompto realized Ignis was on the phone.

“...he’s fine. You’ll see for yourself when we get back– no, I’m not going to tell you anything more tonight– no, Noct. It won’t help you to know– I will ask him, but prepare for disappointment. Now good night, Noct. I have to go.” Ignis hung up and turned around, smiling softly at Prompto. “How are you feeling?”

Prompto shrugged, biting his lip as he considered the question. “I dunno,” he answered truthfully. He felt numb and empty at that moment, but that wasn’t something he felt he could just  _ say _ .

“That’s fair,” Ignis responded instantly. He stood and walked over to the containers on the dresser, and said, “I got you an omelette. I hope that is okay?”

“That’s perfect, honestly,” Prompto responded, opening the container that Ignis nudged toward him.

He couldn’t help the smile that overcame him as he saw the pile of hot sauce packets in the corner of his box. It was an excessive amount of sauce, even by Prompto’s standards, but it made him feel warm that Ignis even thought to grab him any at all. When he glanced up to see Ignis watching him with a pleased expression, Prompto realized the man had intended to make him smile. With a sheepish laugh, Prompto dug into his dinner, opening half of the packets over his omelette.

After several minutes of quiet chewing, Ignis cleared his throat. “Noct would like me to send him a picture of you,” he said quietly, and the blond felt the bottom of his stomach drop before shame twisted his gut into knots. 

Of course Noct would want a visual on how Prompto was doing. Of course his best friend would be worried sick, what with his Chamberlain driving clear across Lucis to rescue Prompto. None of these logical conclusions comforted him though. It only made him feel even guiltier.

Prompto shrugged though, trying to play for nonchalance, and angled the bruised side of his face away from Ignis. “Go ahead,” he sighed, resigned.

Ignis made a tsking noise. “I told him no, Prompto. Though, please text him. If you choose to send a picture, that’s up to you.”

“Thank you,” Prompto said, relaxing finally and set about finishing his meal. 

When he was done, he tossed the container and pulled out his phone to type up a quick text Noctis. The other man immediately replied but Prompto wasn’t in the mood to talk. The text could wait for the morning. 

Right now, Prompto felt raw and tense, and he selfishly wanted another hug. He wanted to hold Ignis’ hand again. He wanted to hold the man against him tightly and breathe in his scent. He wanted to go to Ignis and tuck his head beneath the man’s chin and hide.

Prompto slipped under the covers of the nearest bed instead, berating himself for the pang of sadness that shot through him. 

“Prompto, I should talk to you about what Samuel was saying-” Ignis started, but his voice was tight. The sound of it wavered slightly and the blond rolled over to look at him. The older man was distraught, or as visibly distraught as he could be, his head hanging and shoulders quivering.

“No, Iggy, you don’t have to talk about it right now,” Prompto said, waving off the protest he knew was coming when Ignis lifted his head to look at him. “Listen, it doesn’t matter. Whatever Samuel was trying to say, it doesn’t change anything, so it doesn’t matter right now. Tell me later when you actually want to.”

Ignis paused for a long moment before finally nodding. “Thank you,” Ignis said softly.

“Don’t mention it,” Prompto said, trying to muster his smile again. “I’m going to try and sleep, Ig. Thanks. For the rescue I mean.”

“It was no problem at all, Prompto,” Ignis responded instantly, and Prompto felt something of his former self bubble beneath the surface.

* * *

Prompto laid in the bed for what felt like hours. His eyes were shut but he was no closer to sleep than he was when he first climbed in. His mind raced, reliving the moments of violence over and over. The bruised ache in the side of his face throbbed, especially as his panic began to swell. Frustration filled him and tears sprung behind his clenched eyelids. 

He was  _ so tired _ and just wanted to sleep and end the awful day.

Prompto heard movement in the room, the scuff of a foot as Ignis walked around. The bed dipped behind Prompto, the movement jarring and a dread settled coldly in his gut.

_ ‘It’s just Ignis,’ _ he tried to reason with himself, trying to quell the fear tangling up his insides.  _ ‘Ignis wouldn’t ever do anything to you-’ _

Suddenly, there was a hand resting gently on Prompto’s biceps, thumb rubbing soothingly. There was something wrong with the touch, though, but Prompto couldn’t place it. The hand swept up his arm and then down his chest, pushing under his t-shirt to touch his skin. The blond shook his head and whined.

“Ignis, what are you-”

The hand grabbed his arm again, but now the grip was cruel. It was meant to hurt, to bruise, and Prompto barely got a cry out before he was rolled over roughly. Prompto’s mouth clicked shut as his eyes met Samuel’s.

The man’s face was enraged, and when Prompto went to turn his head to find Ignis, he found he was completely paralyzed. There was nothing he could do, not even shout as his voice seemed just as frozen as his body. Terror rattled through Prompto and a nearly silent whimper escaped him.

“Who would fucking want you like I do, huh?” Samuel snarled, his voice sounding wrong, almost warped. “You think anyone else can love you like I do?”

Prompto struggled as the man above him leaned close to his face. He tried to shout for Ignis. He tried to fight whatever hold was on him, but he couldn’t get any part of his body to work. Panic and terror clawed for dominance within him, and he tried to summon some semblance of composure. 

“Ignis left you here for me,” Samuel growled, and there was something wrong about his features suddenly. It was a subtle change. Prompto only noticed because their faces were so close together. His bone structure seemed to sharpen, and his eyes darkened in shade. “He was happy to be rid of you, honestly.”

“N-no,” Prompto managed to whimper out, sucking in a sharp breath when black ichor began to ooze from Samuel’s eyes, nose, and ears. The older man’s teeth turned lethal as Prompto watched on.

“You think I would let you go that easily, Prompto?” Samuel snarled, his voice twisting on itself, becoming immediately less human. Prompto flinched, and when he opened his eyes a second later, there was a daemon straddling him on the bed.

Prompto finally managed a scream, but his body was still not responding. Even when the monster lifted a fist above its head. Or as it brought it down with astonishing speed toward Prompto’s face.

Prompto wheezed and rolled. The spell broke as he clawed his way out of the nightmare, gasping for breath and wiping the tears off his face. 

Humiliation rolled through him. Prompto felt useless, unable to even  _ sleep _ anymore. Sniffling, he turned his face into the pillow and sighed, trying to calm his heart rate down. 

Prompto heard movement across the room and opened his eyes instantly. To his relief, it was indeed Ignis, who walked over to the bedside table to grab the box of tissues. The man met Prompto’s eyes and smiled warmly as he slid the box across the bed. 

Without thinking it through all the way, Prompto snapped his hand out from under the duvet to grab Ignis’ wrist before he could withdraw. The older man watched him carefully, not pulling back and not supplying any assumptions. The blond blinked at Ignis, lost on what he’d wanted from the man, but too afraid to let go. 

“Can you sit with me? Like right here?” Prompto finally asked, flushing at the request. Ignis was going to think him a child, what with his neediness and apparent fear of the dark. 

“Of course,” Ignis replied, moving the box of tissues and grabbing the remote for the television. 

The nearly ancient device came on, filling the room with flickering, pale light and a steady ringing noise. Prompto found that it oddly comforting on its own. When Ignis finally sat down, the blond wasted slid across the bed to press his forehead against Ignis’ hip. Prompto sighed at the contact, and he could feel the tentative press of a hand on his back. 

“Is this alright?” Ignis asked, beginning to rub his hand in small circles between Prompto’s shoulder blades. The younger man nodded and sighed, relaxing finally. 

When Ignis chuckled lightly after several minutes of quiet, Prompto lifted his head tiredly to watch the television. He was surprised to see a comedy that he and Noctis had seen in the cinema a couple years back. 

“Di’nt think you’d watch comedies,” Prompto murmured, propping his chin on his hand to watch.

“I don’t, normally. Not for any lack of interest, but lack of time,” Ignis explained and the blond hummed his acknowledgment.

About halfway through the movie, Prompto grew too exhausted to keep his head up. Without even thinking, he curled up a little so his head rested in Ignis’ lap to continue watching. He tensed, ready to apologize for overstepping, until a hand began petting his hair lightly.

“Is this okay?” Ignis checked in, pausing his ministrations on Prompto’s hair.

“Mm-hmm,” Prompto hummed with a contented sigh, and his eyes drooped suddenly.

When he opened his eyes again, time had passed. The room was completely dark, and he was being gently laid down against his pillow. For a moment, Prompto was utterly confused, until he realized that Ignis was leaving the bed. Panic coursed through him and he immediately shot his hand out to grab Ignis’ wrist.

“Please,” Prompto whispered, peering up at the man through the darkness. 

Shame filled him at his pathetic begging, but the thought of lying in bed alone, having nothing at his back or no one to protect him, felt worse than pleading at the moment. The nightmare from earlier was fresh in his mind, the images flashing to the forefront every time he blinked, the terror settling into his chest.

“Of course, I just need to get ready for bed,” Ignis responded, slowly pulling his wrist out of Prompto’s loosening grip. 

The man slipped into the washroom, and Prompto rolled onto his back, trying to calm his heart rate back down. It was beginning to feel like a lost cause when Ignis stepped back into the room, dressed only in his dark boxer-briefs and his thin undershirt.

The man stood next to the bed, hesitating for only a moment before turning to the other bed and pulling the duvet off.

“What are you doing?” Prompto asked, brow furrowed slightly.

“Getting myself a blanket. I was going to sleep on top of yours, so as-”

“You don’t have to do that. Just please, get in the bed,” Prompto insisted quietly, lifting the blanket to motion him forward.

Ignis chuckled slightly, and Prompto felt a pleased flush overcome him.

When the man slid into the bed next to the blond, he kept several inches between them. Prompto cringed, realizing he would have to reach out again to get what he needed. With another grimace, he reached over Ignis’ body and grabbed his wrist, tugging and rolling until Ignis was spooned against his back.

“Are you sure?” Ignis asked quietly, his warm breath puffing across the back of Prompto’s neck. The blond nodded quickly, relaxing into the embrace. 

He stiffened, however, when Ignis began subconsciously running his fingertips along Prompto’s stomach. The older man froze before moving his hand up higher to rest on Prompto’s chest. At the change, the blond relaxed with a sigh and Ignis returned to his soothing motions.

But even as the embrace calmed his nerves and stilled his thoughts somewhat, Prompto was still very aware of how awkward this all had to be. For Ignis to have to cuddle his grown friend to sleep. Prompto almost wrenched out of the man’s arms at the very thought and grimaced.

“I’m sorry,” Prompto whispered, his heart fluttering when Ignis’ grip tightened around him.

“What for?”

“This,” the blond supplied weakly, chewing on his lip. “You didn’t sign up for this when you said you would look out for me.”

“While this is mostly for your comfort, it’s for my own as well, Prompto. This is no hardship at all, I promise,” Ignis responded gently, his fingertips drawing curly patterns on Prompto’s chest.

“What do you mean?” the blond asked after a beat of silence. “Why did… why do you need this?”

“Other than the fact that you are a very dear person to me and you were in a horrific situation?”

Prompto huffed slightly, colour tinting his cheeks. “Okay, that was a stupid question-”

“No, no it wasn’t at all,” Ignis interrupted, and he was quiet for a long stretch. Prompto began to suspect he had fallen asleep until he finally spoke. “When I called you, after feeling you call your guns… I knew you didn’t finish summoning them, and so I called, and he answered.

“I thought something… I feared he had… I couldn’t take that. The whole drive there was… it was unbearable,” Ignis finished confessing, pressing his face into the back of Prompto’s neck.

It was overwhelming to think about, that Ignis thought he had been killed, or even seriously injured. That Ignis had driven all the way to get him, despite his well-founded refusal to drive at dusk and night. He had held Prompto while he cried, and had continued to touch and hold him how he needed since.

Tears formed and fell before the blond could stop them. With a humiliated shudder, Prompto covered his mouth, trying to muffle his sob. Ignis’ arm twitched before he was guiding the blond to roll over. He let out another sad sound as he pressed his face into Ignis’ shoulder, wrapping his arm around the man and pulling their bodies flush together.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Prompto whimpered softly, shuddering as a hand began stroking his hair again.

“Enough of that,” Ignis murmured gently. “I won’t have you apologizing for requesting what you need.”

* * *

The next morning was a mess.

Prompto woke up in a panic, not recognizing his surroundings, and the memories of the night before jumbled in his brain. It took him several minutes of hyperventilating before it all caught up to him. 

He remembered Ignis arriving, taking him to Longwythe. He remembered holding hands and lying in bed, watching a silly movie on the television until they both fell asleep..

Horror flooded through Prompto as he remembered the way he clung to Ignis only a handful of hours before, crying into his chest. He could remember finally dozing, lying mostly on top of the other man. 

Shame flooded him, the memories of affection making his stomach flip around in his gut. He’d taken advantage of Ignis’ caring nature. Exploited the moment to get Ignis to touch him.  _ ‘Gods, you even begged him,’ _ Prompto thought with a groan.

Sitting up, he looked around the room, both relieved and dismayed to find he was alone.

And that was when he realized he was still wearing the ring Samuel gave him. He slipped it off quickly with a startled sound and put it on the bedside table, staring at the silver band until Ignis returned. 

Ignis looked stunning, even in his wrinkled clothes from the night before, his hair wet and slicked back from a shower. The man’s suspenders hung loosely from his waist, and Prompto was completely taken with that sight. His arms were full of bags, and he set them down on the table before coming across the room to sit on the other bed.

“Where did you get that?” Ignis asked, motioning at the ring.

“Sam proposed,” the blond sighed, looking back at the ring. Ignis sucked in a breath, but said nothing. “I said no, and then he hit me. He b-broke the camera you got me.” 

His voice quavered dangerously as he told Ignis what became of his thoughtful gift. That hurt the most to tell him. Prompto remembered the quiet place his mind went when Samuel had begun yelling at him again. He didn’t tell Ignis that Samuel hit him again; there was nothing for Ignis to gain by knowing.

“I’m so sorry about the camera,” Prompto whispered, absolutely humiliated by the way tears sprung to his eyes.

Ignis made a displeased noise and Prompto flinched. “How can… you just told me he hit you, and you’re upset about a camera?” the man breathed, his voice so unbelievably sad Prompto couldn’t help but look at him. “Prompto how long has this been going on?”

“Only last night-”

“No, Prompto, I don’t mean the physical violence or the destruction of property,” Ignis said softly, sitting down on the bed. “How long have you felt unsafe with him?”

“I- I don’t know, I mean,” Prompto stammered, shrugging at Ignis’ searching look. “I felt uncomfortable with some of the stuff we did, and sometimes I- I was scared, but everything was generally okay.”

Ignis looked stricken, leaning across the space between beds, elbows on his knees. “Prompto, did Samuel force you to do anything with him? Or to him?”

“He never raped me, if that’s what you’re suggesting,” Prompto snapped, grimacing at his ingrained readiness to defend Samuel.

“Did he talk you into doing something you didn’t want to do? Did he ignore your discomfort for his own needs?” Ignis amended, and Prompto could feel his face heat up with his shame. “Did he ever punish you for saying ‘no’? Or was the threat of punishment ever present?”

The blond bit his lip, almost hard enough to draw blood. There was a tense moment where neither of them said anything, Prompto considered Ignis’ words next to his relationship with Samuel before he gave a shrug and an aborted nod of his head. “Yeah, I guess. I dunno.”

Ignis blew out a breath, brow pinching tight as he reached across to hold one of Prompto’s hands. “Prom, how long had that been going on?” 

“I dunno,” the blond responded, even though he did. But the blinding light suddenly set on the past two years of his life was too much; he couldn’t do this right now, not after everything that happened the night before, and he pulled his hand away sharply. 

Ignis took the hint and sat up straight, leaving Prompto’s space but staying close. “Prompto, why didn’t you ever say anything to me– us?” he asked, his voice low and quiet. 

It was a loaded question, something Prompto didn’t know how to answer. How to explain. Where to even begin. Tears sprung to his eyes and humiliation bloomed through him. 

“I- I didn’t… know,” Prompto whispered before covering his face with a groan, everything coming at him quickly. “I’m such a fucking idiot.”

“Prompto, no,” Ignis said firmly, his hand making an aborted move toward him, remembering Prompto’s earlier retreat. “You are not an idiot for this. Never take accountability for what that man did to you, ever. Do you understand?”

Prompto scoffed and shook his head, jolting a tear free.

“When I was fifteen, one of my school teachers took an interest in me,” Ignis began slowly, and the blond immediately looked over at him with wide eyes.

“Ignis, you don’t have to tell me,” Prompto insisted, already nauseated with how this appeared to be going.

“I want to,” the older man said, taking a breath. “I was at a very vulnerable point in my young life, and he made me feel better. His attention made me feel special, attractive. I wanted to please him, no matter what.

“When he began pushing for sex, I got scared and he was,” Ignis paused a moment, searching for the right word, “enraged. Suddenly he was breaking it off with me and I panicked. I did everything I could to keep him after that.”

Prompto sucked in a hissing breath, his hands screwed into fists on top of his thighs.

“He treated me awfully after I gave him what he had wanted, but it took me almost nine months of it for me to finally tell my uncle about what was happening,” Ignis said with a sigh, looking down at his palms. “My teacher was arrested and I was sent to therapy. I had to transfer to another school because of the rumours that spread.

“Now, I’m telling you all of this because I want you to know that I won’t judge you for staying with Samuel, I will not shift any of his blame onto you,” Ignis said, meeting Prompto’s gaze. “Most of all, I wanted you to know that I understand at least some of what you’ve gone through.”

The blond nodded slowly, thinking about his relationship with Samuel and mulling over Ignis’ words. “A year and a half, I think,” Prompto said slowly, returning to Ignis’ earlier question. “I was… afraid of Samuel leaving me for about a year and a half.”

“Why was that?” Ignis asked softly, gently. “You don’t have to answer that, if you don’t want to.”

“I wouldn’t sleep with him. At first he was okay with it, but then he wasn’t. He… assumed I was a virgin, so when he found out I wasn’t he kicked me out,” Prompto confessed quietly, flushing with shame. 

“He kicked you out because you weren’t a virgin?” Ignis asked in disgusted disbelief. 

“No, I mean… he would’ve, you know, been more okay with me being a prude if I was-”

“You're not a prude for defining your own boundaries, Prompto,” the other man insisted. “He was wrong for treating you that way. Was that what really happened when I picked you up from his-”

“No, no that was… that was exactly what I told you,” Prompto quickly explained. 

“Why didn’t you call me when he did this to you?”

“I don’t know. I mean, at the time I figured he was right,” Prompto offered vaguely, shrugging. He knew exactly why he thought he deserved it. Still thought he deserved it a little bit. The man sitting across from him was as much a distraction now as he was back then. 

Ignis sucked a breath in through his nose before quietly asking, “You said that was when you started fearing he would leave you, but when did you become afraid of him?”

“Around when you walked in on us that one time, I think,” Prompto responded softly, shrugging. “He got really mad that you had keys to my place. I… I, you know, uhm. We… y’know.”

Ignis was visibly upset, nostrils flared and thank Gods he didn’t ask why Prompto lied with his response to the code phrase. That he didn’t ask why Prompto didn't ask for help. Prompto didn’t have a good answer that didn’t sound pathetic, or confess his feelings for Ignis. 

“I wanted to make it up to him, y’know? That I couldn’t give him a key?” Prompto added lamely, shrugging. 

“And last night was the first time he physically harmed you?”

“Deliberately, yeah. Sometimes he would grab me too hard, like my wrists or my waist. He uh… He’d pull my hair sometimes, too,” Prompto confessed with a hot blush. “Not in like, a good way. Like to hold me down when I was, like, down there?”

“Prompto,” Ignis breathed, and the tears were back in Prompto’s eyes as nausea settled in his gut. 

It all became too much. The discussion. The realizations about what was truly done to him. The fact that deep down he still felt like he deserved all of it. 

Prompto stood up and put as much distance between himself and Ignis as he could.  “I need to shower.” 

He didn’t even wait for the man’s response, fleeing to the bathroom and locking himself inside.

* * *

Ignis was tapping away on his phone when Prompto finished his shower, his mouth a tight line while he responded to whatever messages he was receiving. There was a plate on the table, food still hot and calling to Prompto’s rumbling stomach.

The blond sat down and began eating while messing around on his own phone. He had multiple messages from Noctis (which he ignored for now) and one from Gladio. He responded to that one, as it was a simple yes or no question.

Suddenly his phone buzzed in his hand, a text from Samuel coming through.

_ ‘We need to talk. We are NOT done.’ _

Prompto closed the messaging app, and tossed his phone aside with a huff. This pulled Ignis’ attention to him, and the man smiled softly.

“So we have to make a decision: are we staying here another night, or am I taking you back home?” Ignis asked softly, putting his phone down on the bed next to him.

Prompto shrugged, relief flooding him when Ignis did not resume their earlier conversation. His phone buzzed next to him again. 

“I don’t want to stay here, but I don’t think I’m ready to go home,” he confessed, avoiding Ignis’ eyes as he said it. “I don’t want to face Noct or Gladio yet.”

“Would you be comfortable staying at my apartment tonight?” Ignis offered carefully. “I have a guest room. You wouldn’t be an inconvenience at all.”

Gratitude washed through Prompto at the offer and he nodded, grabbing his phone to read the last message from Samuel.  _ ‘Answer me u fucking whore’ _ . Flinching, Prompto turned off his phone and quickly finished his breakfast.

The drive back was quiet and uneventful. Prompto even managed to doze, arms crossed tightly over his chest while he leaned heavily against his window. Ignis only woke him up briefly as they were coming up to Hammerhead to ask if he wanted anything to eat. The blond opted to push on until they arrived at Ignis’ apartment. He just wanted to be home in the Crown City.

The hours after arriving at Ignis’ apartment were a blur for Prompto. There a brief argument over who should have the master bedroom while the blond stayed there, which Prompto won and was subsequently shown the guest room. It wasn’t an overly large room, with a daybed tucked into one corner and a desk on the wall opposite to it. Prompto declared he wanted to lie down again, and Ignis left the room without hesitation.

Prompto did lie down, though he didn’t sleep much. He mostly just stared at the ceiling while he listened to the sounds of Ignis moving about the apartment. He finally got up when he began to smell food cooking and joined Ignis in the kitchen.

“Did you sleep well?” Ignis asked when Prompto leaned against the counter and picked up the recipe card to parse out what he was being treated to that evening.

“Not really,” Prompto responded with a shrug. “Too much on my mind.”

“Noct called; he said you aren’t responding to any of his texts and his calls are going straight to voicemail,” Ignis said gently. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, just… turned my phone off. It was overwhelming and Samuel was texting me and I just needed, y’know, a break,” the blond said, shrugging sadly. “I don’t think I can go home.”

Ignis looked over at Prompto at the quiet confession, his expression thoughtful. “Would you like to look for a new place? Your own place, that is?”

Prompto nodded, somewhat relieved that Ignis had gotten his meaning and didn’t ask why. “I’ll crash at Noctis’ place until I find one, get out of your hair finally,” he said with a laugh, even as his gut twisted up.

“I hardly mind you in my hair, Prompto,” Ignis said immediately, his words warming Prompto significantly, especially with some inappropriate images that line inspired in Prompto’s imagination. “I would be happy to lend my guest room to you while you look for your own apartment, for as long as it takes.”

“Thank you,” Prompto muttered, a smile overtaking his features while he set about pulling dishes out and setting the table.

“I’ll send Noct and Gladio to your parents’ place to collect more of your belongings as well, if you would rather avoid it entirely?” Ignis offered when they sat down to eat. Prompto nodded gratefully, giving Ignis a real smile.

“That means they will see you, however,” Ignis said softly, his tone gentle even with the warning. “They will want to know everything, but it’s up to you how much ‘everything’ is.”

“Did you tell them everything that happened to you?” he asked, picking at his food thoughtfully. 

“I told Gladio most of what happened back then, but Noctis was much too young at the time. I’ve told him some of it, as he’s asked questions. I wouldn’t hesitate to tell him everything if he wanted to know, though,” the man replied. 

Prompto sighed, shoveling a mouthful in to mull it over. He didn’t particularly want to tell anyone everything; it was humiliating, shameful, and something he would prefer to bury forever. But at the same time, Gladio and Noctis never really left him alone about Zara. They never stopped asking him now and then what had happened that day when Ignis ejected her from the apartment.

He didn’t want to relive Samuel more than he didn’t want to talk about it. 

“Okay,” Prompto finally said, chewing on his lip.

“Is there anything else you wanted to tell me before you see them tomorrow?” Ignis asked after swallowing a mouthful of food.

“I don’t know, I mean, I already told you a lot. I don’t think there’s much more,” Prompto said with a shrug.

“Fair enough,” Ignis responded, dropping it immediately and returning to eating his food.

The blond sighed, relieved to be off the topic completely, and finished his own dinner.

* * *

“I will fucking kill him.”

Prompto flinched at Noctis’ declaration, turning the bruised side of his face away as if that would quell the prince’s rage.

“I had made an attempt already, Noct. Prompto doesn’t wish for any bloodshed on his behalf, no matter how much we believe the situation warrants it,” Ignis said dryly, and Prompto grimaced at the memory of near-violence.

“Seriously, Iggy?” Gladio said gruffly, his tone drenched in approval. “Good on you. Didn’t realize you had it in you.”

Ignis looked vaguely annoyed at the statement, but he said nothing more, turning to Prompto. “Maybe we should start from the beginning?”

Prompto slid deeper into his seat on the couch and chewed on his lip, eyes staring at the point on the wall above the television while the others waited for him to speak.

The night before had been a disaster, full of nightmares and panicked pacing alone in the small guest room. Prompto had reassured himself with locking the bedroom door and looking out the window to remind himself that he was, indeed, several storeys above the ground. There was no way for Samuel to know where he was, and no way for him to get in. But Prompto still had the nightmare from Longwythe; the one with Samuel grabbing him and transforming into a Daemon.

It had taken everything within Prompto to keep from seeking out Ignis’ comfort.

This particular disaster, however, had started about four hours before, when Ignis called Noctis and gave him the instructions to go to Prompto’s apartment and collect as much of his clothes and personal belongings as they could fit into Noctis’ car. Noctis had been annoyed that Prompto had been back for a day without letting him know, but agreed to do so.

It was about three hours later when Noctis had called and said that Samuel was there, pounding on the door. Ignis described the conversation vaguely to Prompto, but the blond was happy to not have any of the details. He was just even more relieved that he hadn’t been there. An hour after that, Noctis texted Ignis to let him know they were on their way, and Prompto somehow became even more tense.

He opted to sit on the couch, keeping his back toward anyone entering the apartment. He heard his friends arrive, and sat sullenly while the three others made trips to and from the car and drop his stuff off down the hall.

“Why isn’t he helping out?” he heard Gladio ask, voice grumpy but lacking heat. Prompto felt guilty instantly.

“I imagine he doesn’t want to be seen outside this apartment at the moment,” Ignis explained before they left the apartment for their last trip to the car.

Then, finally, they were done and Noctis wasted no time rounding the couch to look at Prompto, his eyes landing on the bruise instantly.

And that was where they were now, Noctis still standing and looking down at Prompto, Gladio sitting in an armchair across the room, and Ignis on the couch next to him.

“There isn’t much to tell…” Prompto began, grimacing at Gladio’s scoff.

“How about you start with how long he’s been beating you?” the shield bit out, and Prompto could tell that most of his anger was directed at himself.

“This was the first time,” Prompto replied, grimacing slightly. “And he didn’t beat me-”

“Don’t,” Noctis bit out, shaking his head when Prompto met his eyes. “Don’t start with that semantics shit right now.”

“How long has been treating you like shit, Blondie?” Gladio asked, his expression hard and Prompto shied away from it. “How about that, how long has he been treating you like fucking property?”

“Gladio-” Ignis began, but Prompto quickly shook his head, eyes dropping to stare at the hole in the knee of his jeans.

“I don’t know, a while? Like, a pretty long while I guess?” Prompto responded, shrugging slightly.

“And you didn’t fucking say anything?” Gladio continued, his voice raising even more. “The guy has been treating you like shit and you’ve just been taking it?”

“Gladio!” Ignis snapped when Prompto shrunk into himself further.

Gladio looked at Ignis quickly before turning his attention back on Prompto, and something in his face softened and turned unbearably sad. The shield rubbed his face with both hands quickly before letting out a long, slow breath. “I’m sorry, Blondie, this is just…”

“Really fucking out of nowhere,” Noctis supplied, arms crossed in his petulant way.

“Right, I mean, we thought everything was fucking fine with Samuel, and then Ignis is rushing out of the club saying you need help,” Gladio explained, looking up at the ceiling. “How didn’t we see it?”

That little question seemed to knock the wind out of Noctis, and finally the prince sat down on the coffee table. His head was hanging, and to Prompto’s horror, he heard a light sniffle come from his best friend.

“You only saw what Prompto wanted you to see,” Ignis said to both of them, gaze meeting Prompto’s briefly. “And what he wanted you to see was him happy with Samuel.”

“Yeah, but why?” Gladio snapped, shaking his head. “Why did you want us to think you were happy with that fucking prick?”

Ignis snapped a quick, “Gladiolus” but the words were already out there, and Prompto was grimacing. He had made a proper mess of everything, worried his best friends and worse, made them blame themselves for what happened. Tears sprung to his eyes and he ducked his head.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, shrugging. “Like, I can’t believe everything you’ve all done for me, and just because I’m a fucking idiot-”

“No, no stop that,” Gladio said quickly with a huff, taking a deep breath. “I’m not mad at you, and neither is Noct.”

“You seem pretty angry, though,” Prompto said with a shrug. “And you should be. I’ve been a huge burden to you guys as it is and then I did this-”

“What the hell, Prompto?” Noctis forced out with a breath, and Gladio and Ignis were quick to concur. “How the hell are you a burden? You’re my best friend, dude.”

“You have far more worth than you apparently see in yourself, Prompto,” Ignis added. “Not one of us would ever describe you as anything less than the phenomenal person you have always been.”

“I know I’ve always teased you, but you’re our friend, Prompto. We wouldn’t be like this if we didn’t care about your scrawny ass,” Gladio said, his voice soft and lacking all heat. “If you were a burden we would have dropped you years ago-”

“Gladio,” Ignis warned again. 

“No seriously, if you were a problem we would let you know, or cut you loose. We’ve done neither, so knock it off with this,” Gladio made vague hand gestures at Prompto, “whatever this is you’re doing.”

“I just don’t get it, Prom. When did it become so bad?” Noctis asked, his voice quiet. His dark blue eyes were soft, and it settled an aching pain deep in Prompto’s chest. “I mean, I knew you were tense leaving the other day, and I wasn’t a huge fan of him, but we had no idea it was this bad.”

“It wasn’t though. He never hit me before,” Prompto said quickly, trying to soothe the anguish he could see in Prompto’s expression. 

Ignis made a thoughtful sound before gently saying, “But he has hurt you.”

The other two men went very still, glancing between Ignis and Prompto, waiting for one of them to elaborate further. 

“What does that mean?” Gladio finally asked when it appeared that Prompto was unwilling to explain without being asked, and Ignis wouldn’t say anything without some sign from prompto. 

“He’d pull my hair, uhm,” Prompto began, screwing his eyes shut as embarrassment flooded through him. “He’d uhm, grab me hard enough to, uhm, bruise and stuff. But he never hit me-”

“What do you mean he’d pull your hair and grab you?” Gladio asked, and his voice was very flat. Prompto knew without even looking at the man that he was furious. 

“I-uh, I mean…” The words locked up in his throat, shame coursing through him. Ducking his head, Prompto opened his eyes to look pleadingly over at Ignis. 

Ignis nodded before slowly saying, “Samuel was pushy for sex. Physically, so.”

Prompto saw when Gladio and Noctis realized what was said. The prince let his head drop forward, hiding his face behind his hair while Gladio nostrils flared. 

“What the fuck, kid, did he rape you?” Gladio finally asked, and Noctis’ shoulders hunched even more. 

Prompto flinched at that word. When he opened his mouth to defend Samuel, Ignis spoke. “He doesn’t wish to call it that.”

Gladio scoffed at that. “Okay, fine, I’ll humour you. He forced you to have sex with him?”

“No! He just– I mean, I always said yes,” Prompto insisted, trying to get the discussion away from unfounded accusations. He kept glancing at Noctis, waiting for him to say something. 

“Consent under duress is not fucking consent, Prompto!” Gladio shouted, frustration and anger clear in his tone. Prompto flinched away from the man, turning to look back at the spot on the wall above the television. 

“Lower your voice, Gladio, or I will have to ask you to leave,” Ignis said lowly, the warning in his tone obvious. 

Gladio looked sharply at Ignis, before looking at the cowering blond. Taking a deep breath, Gladio said, “right. Okay, I’m sorry Prompto. But you have to realize how this all sounds.”

“He didn’t rape me. I agreed to everything we did, ” Prompto murmured, insistent. 

“Did you?” Gladio challenged. 

“Gladio, drop it,” Ignis hissed. 

Gladio gave a heavy sigh. “Fine, but answer this: were you afraid of him at all before Friday?”

“I guess,” Prompto responded, pausing to bite his lip. “A few months ago Iggy walked in on us and Samuel got really mad.”

Gladio looked to Ignis for confirmation, and the man nodded slightly. Before the shield could say anything, Ignis held up a hand. “I checked in with Prompto after leaving, and I was told everything was alright.”

“Wait, so you fucking left him with this guy?” Gladio snapped, and Ignis’ mouth swiftly snapped shut. There was a confusing moment when Ignis merely turned away from Gladio, not even attempting to defend his actions. 

“He was just doing what I asked him to,” Prompto blurted quickly. “I wanted him to leave, so he did.”

Ignis gave him such a sad look that Prompto couldn’t look directly at it, only sneaking glances as he tried to focus on Gladio. The shield was scoffing, but apparently was content to drop that particular subject. 

“What about before that? Or was that the exact moment you started to actually fear Samuel?” Gladio questioned. 

“I was always more afraid of him leaving me. I dunno, I just… did whatever it took to keep him, even if that meant, you know...” Prompto trailed off, embarrassed as Gladio gaped and Noctis shook his head. 

“Shiva’s tits, Prompto,” Gladio breathed, leaning back and scrubbing his hands over his face. “This guy is a fucking creep who’s been forcing you into sex and you didn’t say anything to us?”

Prompto dipped his head again, shame washing through him. There was nothing he could say here, especially since his friends were convinced he was fully forced to fuck Samuel. And how would he have known that his friends would have been so enraged by Samuel’s mere existence?

“He didn’t know something was wrong,” Ignis said softly, supplying the words that were trapped in the blond’s throat. “He told me he figured he owed Samuel sex.”

Gladio scoffed again. “What the fuck, Prompto?”

“I kept putting him off, for months, and just… guys have needs, right?” Prompto supplied, shrugging half-heartedly. He jumped when Gladio slapped the arm of his chair.

“No! Wrong! Fuck-”

“Gladio, please,” Ignis warned again when Gladio’s voice seemed to echo in the room around them.

Gladio huffed, and Prompto looked up just in time to catch him shaking his head. “Just why didn’t you say anything to us? Even just to Ignis? You obviously have some kind of deal with him.”

“Because Samuel wanted me! He made me feel good most of the time, and he really, honestly wanted me,” Prompto finally burst out, his throat aching with his efforts not to cry now. This outburst seemed to finally draw the full attention of Noctis, and the prince lifted his head to look at the blond.

“So you liked the attention,” the shield said flatly, an eyebrow raised in challenge.

Ignis hissed at the man, “Gladio, I swear-”

“Yes, I did!” Prompto interrupted Ignis, his anger beginning to boil in his gut as he began to shake. The tears were forming in his eyes already, but he fought to keep them back. “I’m a fucking idiot, I get it, but I loved him and he made me feel good most of the time-”

“You’re not an idiot,” Ignis and Gladio interrupted him simultaneously.

“Stop saying shitty things about yourself. None of us are saying it,” Gladio continued, his entire demeanor softening again, and Prompto could tell he was making an honest effort to stay in control of his emotions.

Ignis made a scornful noise before saying, “You’re being very aggressive, Gladio, and Noctis hasn’t said a word. Prompto is valid in his interpretations of our opinion of him.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry, Prompto. I’m furious at him, not you. Just, fuck.” The shield surged to his feet, to pace the length of the room, hands in his hair while he tried to calm himself down even further.

“You said he made you feel good most of the time, but how did you feel the rest of the time?” Ignis asked now, turning to look at the blond next to him on the couch.

Prompto grimaced, chewing on his bottom lip. “I… I don’t know, I didn’t really like being touched sometimes. My skin would crawl, and I would feel sick.”

Gladio cursed softly under his breath, but thankfully kept his thoughts to himself. Beside him, Ignis’ face had shuttered completely, blank with his displeasure about Prompto’s answer. Noctis was gaping at him, and his mouth opened, readying to say something.

“But that wasn’t--I mean, most of the time I felt good! Seriously guys-” Prompto began, trying to head off anything Noctis had to say.

“How can someone choose to stay with someone that makes them want to vomit?” Noctis asked quietly, almost to himself. He was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, and already the words were like a knife to Prompto’s gut. “How can someone choose to stay with someone who does that to them? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Prompto’s mouth shut with a click of his molars against each other, and he shrank back into the couch. There was no fighting the tears as they welled up and he was already searching for a way to escape the room before he humiliated himself by crying in front of Gladio and Noctis, especially after the prince’s quiet condemnation.

Ignis was already on the defense, reaching out a gloved hand to lightly grasp Prompto’s wrist. “Noctis!”

“What the hell, Noctis? That isn’t how this shit works!” Gladio shouted, all of his ire switched to the prince.

The next several moments were a mess. Immediately, the prince and his shield began shouting at each other, their words unintelligible between the two of them. Ignis seemed to be trying to bring them back down without raising his own voice, but it was impossible.

Prompto abruptly stood up. His hands were clenched at his sides to try to stop his frantic shaking. “I need to go,” he declared before fleeing the living room and locking himself in the master bathroom. He briefly heard Ignis call after him, and that had his chest aching in gratitude.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” he could hear Noctis shouting, and his voice sounded less petulant, and more properly sad. Prompto sniffled, feeling immediately guilty for leaving the living room like he had.

“It doesn’t matter, that’s what you said,” he heard Gladio respond roughly.

“But it isn’t--”

“Enough! Both of you!” Ignis finally shouted, and silence came over the apartment for several pregnant moments. “It’s time for you to leave.”

Noctis spluttered. “But--”

“I said leave, Highness,” Ignis repeated, his voice low and warning.

“C’mon, Prince Fuck-Up. You heard Specs,” Gladio shouted a couple moments later.

“I’m not leaving before I apologize,” Noctis said, his voice getting steadily louder. Prompto realized that his friend was coming to the bathroom door. 

There was a light knock and a quiet, “Prom?” Prompto stayed silent, leaning against the counter and trying his hardest not to sob. Tears had begun to stream down his face, much to his chagrin.

“Prom, I’m sorry. I just…” Noctis began quietly, sighing so sadly that the blond almost opened the door to hug him. “I just don’t understand how someone could, I dunno, put up with that. I don’t and--”

“That’s quite enough out of you today, Highness,” came Ignis’ voice, startlingly close to the door, and was followed with the sounds of both men shuffling away from the bathroom. “You can apologize properly another time. Now, out.”

After several moments, filled with the sounds of two bickering men putting shoes on and exiting the apartment, there was another knock on the bathroom door.

“Prompto, are you okay?” Ignis’ voice was so gentle, Prompto felt the dam break in his chest.

Letting out a small sob, the blond swallowed thickly and replied, “I’m fine. I’m just gonna take a shower.”

Ignis paused, and for a moment Prompto was afraid the man wouldn’t let him be alone. Part of Prompto hoped Ignis wouldn’t. “Okay, I’ll be out in the living room if you need me,” the man finally said, and Prompto could hear his footsteps retreating.

Prompto stripped out of his clothes as quickly as he could, turned the shower on as hot as he could take it and threw himself in. With his hands braced against the wall, he turned the entire argument over in his head, breathless sobs wracking his tired body. There was the vague hope that between the shower and the length of the hall, Ignis wouldn’t be able to hear him, but he knew he was being far too loud.

He couldn’t get Noctis’ questions out of his head, asking himself the same things over and over again until he was choking on his cries. With a frustrated huff, he began actually bathing, trying to snap himself out of the spiral he had fallen into. His fingers scrubbed shampoo into his hair almost painfully before he grabbed his loufa. Prompto’s skin was already an angry pink from the heat of the water, and he scrubbed it raw on his stomach, arms, and legs. Throughout this, he still openly sobbed, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before Ignis came to check on him again.

Without pausing, he lifted his soapy hands to scrub roughly at his face as well. His fingers dug into his bruises, pulling a pained cry from him. The shock of pain lanced through him. He could feel the blow again. The rattling of his skull as he stumbled to right himself. Prompto hit the wall of the shower stall with his shoulder, and the heavy contact knocked a bottle of bodywash off the shelf.

The sound of it hitting the floor of the stall had Prompto flinching with a soft gasp, but all he could see when he shut his eyes was the way the camera shattered on the granite table-top. With a shuddering sigh, Prompto slid to the floor and sat beneath the painfully hot spray of the shower and leaned his head back. 

The images wouldn’t stop, between the visage of Samuel up close and screaming, and the camera shattering. Every time he blinked, Prompto saw one or the other, and every time he tried to move, he felt Samuel’s hands on his body. The spread of Samuel’s palm landing heavily across the side of his face.

A numbness passed over Prompto as he tried to stop the thoughts, tried to stop the images. Soon he found himself huddled in the corner, staring straight ahead, and breathing frantically. 

A knock on the bathroom door startled him, but the blond made no move to respond or get up. 

“Prompto, are you okay? You’ve been in there for quite some time, and I heard something fall.” The concern in Ignis’ voice lanced through Prompto. He tried to muster the ability to respond, the words in his throat but not making it past his lips. His breathing sped up with his panic.

“Prompto?” Ignis called again, waiting a minute for a response. “Prompto, I’m sorry but I’m coming in.” 

The blond wanted to cry again as he heard Ignis open the bathroom door and step inside. Prompto tried to move again, and only succeeded in turning his head. His body wasn’t responding as panic completely and utterly took over.

“Prompto, I need you to respond.”

Prompto turned his eyes to where he heard Ignis’ voice, blue eyes staring at the other man’s silhouette through the frosted glass. 

“If you can’t respond verbally, can you try knocking?” Ignis suggested, and Prompto could now hear the panicked edge to Ignis’ voice. “Give me one knock if you’re okay in there.”

Prompto wanted to knock, wanted to ease the other man’s obvious anxiety, but he couldn’t muster it.

“I’m going to be right back, Prompto. I’m getting you a bathrobe and then I will help you out of the shower,” Ignis explained, his voice quavering and Prompto could feel another sob bubbling in his chest. All he managed to do was scare his friends, it would seem.

Not even a minute passed before Ignis’ shadow returned on the other side of the door. “Prompto, I’m back. Can you respond yet?”

Prompto tried to form words, to knock, but all he managed was a soft whine. Gratitude that Ignis was there to help him flooded through Prompto. He couldn’t remember locking down like this physically. He wasn’t mentally conscious for it if it had happened before at the very least.

“Okay Prompto,” Ignis said around a deep, fortifying breath. “I’m going to open the stall door and help you out. Again, I’m sorry.”

Prompto closed his eyes as the door to the shower was opened, the cooler air of the bathroom rushing in and making him shiver violently. The temperature change shocked him back into his senses a little, just enough for him to turn his head and gasp out a small, “Iggy…”

“I’m turning off the water now, okay?”

Ignis’ voice floated through Prompto, the words delayed in making sense to him. When finally he registered what Ignis was saying, the blond nodded and sighed when the water stopped blasting down on him.

“Can you stand, Prompto?”

The blond didn’t even try before shaking his head, that alone taking monumental effort to do.

“Okay, I’m going to help you out of the stall. I will hold your arms, and only those, alright?”

Prompto sighed at the simple explanations, nodding with his gratitude. The hands grabbing his arms still startled him, however, and Ignis was immediately apologizing. The pressure on his biceps stayed constant, and Prompto was all but hauled forward onto the plush bathroom mat. Something heavy and fluffy got thrown around the blond’s shoulders.

Strong hands rubbed frantically up and down Prompto’s arms, warming his chilled skin from the outside of the fluffy covering he was now wearing. Opening his eyes, Prompto looked down to see he was wearing a bathrobe draped around him, the front still hanging open.

“There we go,” Ignis was muttering soothingly, repeating it like some kind of chant and the blond sighed, leaning forward to press his weight against Ignis’ warmth.

Ignis froze for only a moment before wrapping his arms loosely around the younger man, resting a cheek on top of Prompto’s soaked hair. They sat like that on the floor of Ignis’ bathroom for what felt like an eternity while Prompto’s breathing evened out and his control of his own body returned.

With it came the sickening realization that Ignis had seen him vulnerable and naked. While he had been mostly naked the time Ignis walked in on him and Samuel, his ex had been blocking most of Ignis’ view of Prompto. This time, there was nothing to obscure his body.

Panic sliced through Prompto once again, and he wrenched away from Ignis. He slipped his arms into the sleeves of the robe and cinched it shut around his waist. Tears sprung to his eyes again and he wiped them away viciously.

“Prompto,” Ignis began gently, reaching out slowly to cup the blond’s cheek gently. “What’s wrong?”

“I-I never wanted you to… to see me,” Prompto said in a rush, trying to blink back the tears but only knocking them loose to streak down his cheeks.

“Prompto, I’m sorry for invading your privacy like I did,” Ignis apologized and Prompto shook his head frantically. The other man continued on though. “I was worried about you, and it was the only way I knew-”

“That’s not what I’m upset about, Ignis,” Prompto interjected, chuckling humorlessly as he stared up at the ceiling through his tears. “Listen to you, always so great, not even mentioning it.”

“What are you talking about, Prompto?” Ignis asked, his voice pleading as he directed the younger man to look at him.

“I-I’m fucking hideous, Ignis, and you’re, well… you know, not. I never ever wanted you to see me… see me naked,” Prompto ranted, pulling away from Ignis’ touch to and buried his face in his hands.

“Prompto, you’re hardly hideous-”

The blond scoffed coldly and immediately regretted the sound. He was already too riled to keep back his words, however. “Then maybe you didn’t actually fucking look at me, or you have some kind of fetish-”

“That isn’t what I’m trying to say here, Prompto, and I apologize if I’m not making myself clearer,” Ignis continued, and the blond looked at him again. He was taken aback by the look of complete and utter sincerity being directed at him. “I merely do not agree that your body and the signs of your personal success and growth are ‘hideous.’”

“You know, Samuel said some similar stuff,” Prompto responded, partially to gauge Ignis’ reaction at this point. The man only gave him a thoughtful look.

“But despite his acceptance, you are not happy with your body,” Ignis stated after a few silent moments. Sighing with some relief, Prompto shook his head. “If it means that much to you, Prompto, there is surgery you can get. With your paycheque, you should be able to afford it quite soon.”

Prompto let loose a loud, bitter laugh, startling Ignis. “That’s dishonest,” the blond said, repeating Samuel’s words from months ago. “That’s lying.”

Ignis’ mouth pressed into a firm line, eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses. The blond could see that the man was thinking, and he could tell that Ignis knew those weren’t his own words. With a deep breath, Ignis began unbuttoning his shirt.

“I would like to show you something, Prompto. If you’re uncomfortable, please tell me,” Ignis said softly as he untucked his shirt and let it hang open, revealing his thin undershirt.

Prompto stared at the exposed underclothes before lifting his gaze to meet Ignis’, nodding faintly when he realized the man was waiting for some kind of response.

“May I have your hand, please?” Ignis asked, waiting for the blond to lift it before reaching out to gently grab his wrist. He directed Prompto’s fingertips to his chest, slowly sliding his hand so it covered the blond’s.

At first, Prompto was confused, ready to pull his hand away until he felt a slightly raised line of skin through the flimsy material of Ignis’ undershirt. Curious, Prompto traced along its length until he reached the end of it. 

“A scar?” the blond asked, lifting his eyes to meet ignis’ and was shocked by how nervous the other man looked. Prompto could feel the racing beat of Ignis’ heart beneath his fingers and he almost pulled away. “Ignis?”

“I’ll show you if that’s alright with you,” Ignis said softly, releasing Prompto’s hand so that he could slip his dress shirt off. The man reached back over his head to grab the back of his undershirt and slowly removed it. It took a few moments to clear his chest, and when it did, Prompto stared at the scars that sat along the underside of his pectorals.

The blond reached out again and hesitated, meeting Ignis’ eyes. The man nodded encouragingly, so Prompto brushed his fingers along one long ridge of raised skin. 

“These look like double-mastectomy scars, but I guess a little nicer,” Prompto murmured, remembering back to all of his research on surgeries and recovery rates.

“They’re from part of my gender confirmation surgery,” Ignis ventured carefully, and was waiting for the moment Prompto snapped his eyes back up.

“Gender confirmation?” Prompto knew what the term meant, though only in the vaguest sense.

Ignis released a slow breath, the sound of it slightly shaky. “I was assigned female at birth, but I identify as a man. I am about five years post-op, now.”

Prompto stared at Ignis for several seconds, blinking owlishly, before turning his full attention back on the scars. He leaned close to really look at the raised, puffy skin, and Ignis chuckled lightly.

“Let me get a bit comfier if we intend to sit here for much longer,” the man said before sliding his legs out from under himself so he sat flat on the floor, his back against the cabinets. 

Prompto shifted so that he was sitting closer to Ignis and angled himself better. He was kneeling still, his leg pressed tight to Ignis’ while he ducked close to stroke the scars. He started at the outside edge of the left side and slid across, brushing softly at where scar tissue met smooth skin.

At this, Ignis jolted and Prompto immediately pulled his hand back, guilt flooding him. “Sorry!”

“No, no! You were fine. The skin is just very sensitive toward the center there,” Ignis explained with a chuckle, expression warm when the blond met his gaze.

Prompto flushed as the urge to lick that spot on Ignis’ chest came to him unbidden. Tilting his face down to hide his embarrassment, Prompto brought his hand back to the scars on Ignis’ chest. The motion alone helped with his mental state greatly, and he allowed himself this comfort for as long as Ignis would give it to him.

“You know who I am, you’ve known me for years. We’ve come to be close friends,” Ignis began, his voice strained with caution. Ignis’ expression was searching, his green eyes holding Prompto’s when the blond looked back up at his face. “This is my body; does this make me dishonest? A liar?”

Prompto shook his head frantically. “No!”

Ignis smiled warmly, lifting his hand to cup Prompto’s cheek softly. His thumb slowly swiped across Prompto’s cheekbone as he said, “I’m relieved that you think so. I can only hope that you give yourself as much dignity and respect from now on.”

The blond could feel himself tearing up again, his chest fit to burst with his love for the man sitting in front of him. With his own hands touching Ignis’ chest, and Ignis’ hand tenderly petting his cheek, Prompto had the intense urge to lean in and press their mouths together.

Without fully realizing it, Prompto had tipped closer, angling his face up to Ignis. He flushed as he realized what he’d done, and just as he was about to sit back a bit, Ignis glanced down at his lips. Prompto watched as the man’s eyes dilated slightly with some fascination. Something tingled in Prompto’s gut as Ignis stared at his mouth, and the urge to push forward and take something was overwhelming.

Flushing deep and flustered, Prompto came back to himself and sat up. Hot tears were still gathering in his eyes, and he wanted to cry even more, angry at himself for even considering that Ignis wanted him.

Ignis seemed to recognize the intimacy in their position, with his hand on Prompto’s cheek and the blond’s hand still tracing the raised lines on his chest. Clearing his throat, Ignis pulled back slightly, dragging his thumb and forefinger together against Prompto’s cheekbone. 

“Eyelash,” he clarified as he made a flicking motion as he pulled his hand away fully..

“‘Sposed to make a wish,” Prompto murmured, voice trembling slightly. 

“Who says I didn’t?” Ignis replied, smiling softly. “Telling you would mean it won’t come true, if I’m not mistaken.”

With a watery sigh, Prompto leaned forward against Ignis’ shoulder and chest, splaying his hand across the other scarred pectoral. The blond could feel and hear the man’s heart racing, and Prompto found that most confusing of all.

“Can I ask about the surgery?” Prompto asked after several moments, listening as Ignis’ heart rate slowly dialled down to something closer to resembling resting.

“Perhaps later,” the man responded, his tone loose and relaxed while he began running a hand up and down Prompto’s back. The pressure was nice, even if a bit dulled through the thick robe. “This isn’t the best place to explain all of that.”

“Okay, yeah,” Prompto said softly, finally relaxing against Ignis.

“How about you get dressed. I can get started on dinner, as well,” Ignis suggested softly.

“Can’t we just… keep doing this?” Prompto asked, his voice slow and almost sleepy.

Ignis chuckled, and the rumbling sound against Prompto’s ear makes him a little weak. “I would love to, if my rear wasn’t protesting this particular seat,” he said, and the blond could hear the smile in his tone. “How about this: you get dressed, and we can resume this on the couch?”

Prompto laughed softly and nodded. “Sounds good.”

Getting up first, Prompto helped Ignis to his feet and stepped out of the bathroom while the other man stooped to grab his shirts off the floor. He slipped down the hall and into his temporary bedroom to remove his robe and pull on a t-shirt and sleep pants.

When Prompto stepped back out into the hall, he could see Ignis sitting on the couch tapping away on his phone in one hand. His other arm was stretched out across the back of the couch. Prompto joined him nervously, almost afraid to initiate contact once again. The moment from the bathroom had almost passed, and Prompto was feeling self-conscious about his neediness all over again.

Biting his lip, he leaned against Ignis, staring straight ahead. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Prompto asked after a minute of silence.

Ignis put his phone down on his thigh, and the blond looked up at his puzzled expression. The man was obviously piecing together what Prompto was referring to, and the younger man knew the instant Ignis got it. 

“I wouldn’t be sitting here if I wasn’t, Prompto,” Ignis reassured, but something in Prompto’s expression must have communicated his doubt. “I mean it, Prompto. I’m fine with this, I want to help you in whatever way you need.”

Prompto nodded slowly, looking away from Ignis and relaxing. “What about supper?”

“I thought it best to order out tonight.”

“You didn’t have to do that, Iggy,” Prompto said quickly, guilt rushing through him. “You love cooking, and you kinda hate take-out.”

“I care more for your well being than cooking a meal,” Ignis responded.

Prompto blushed, the words a little dizzying to him. “Okay…”

“Besides,” Ignis continued. “I enjoy this particular restaurant I ordered from, and I rarely have the excuse to order from them.”

This pulls a loud laugh from Prompto, the sound of it almost covering up the knock on the door completely. The two of them got up, Prompto situating himself at the dinner table while Ignis went to the door to pay for the food and bring it in.

The older man set out the spread in front of them, and to Prompto’s utter delight, it was curry. He flushed slightly at the thoughtful gesture, and at being so thoroughly figured out by Ignis.

“You asked me earlier about my surgery,” Ignis began when they were most of the way through their meal. “What did you want to know?”

“Mostly just, how was it when you were recovering?” Prompto asked, feeling jittery as he did so. “Did it hurt a lot?”

Ignis paused, as if confused by the question. It suddenly occurred to Prompto that perhaps the man  had expected another set of questions.

“Well, yes. It was major surgery, so naturally there was significant pain,” Ignis finally replied, slow and careful. “I’m not sure how much my recovery is applicable to your procedure, though.”

Prompto nodded, turning his attention to his food while he thought. He suddenly remembered Samuel’s comments, that Samuel recognized Ignis by his clubbing attire and styling. “So,” he began slowly. “You knew Samuel from the club?”

“No, I didn’t meet him until you began seeing him,” Ignis responded with a sigh. “Even so, he was apparently one of the people who ruined the experience of Sapien for me.”

“What happened?” Prompto asked. “I mean, you kinda told me a while back, but it didn’t really explain anything.”

Ignis pushed his bowl away from himself and leaned back in his chair. “I took a man home. He was perfectly lovely, I told him beforehand that I was trans, so it wouldn’t be a surprise for him later. We had fantastic sex.”

Prompto tried, and failed, to stop the pang of jealousy that ripped through him.

“I mean, it was amazing. We even exchanged numbers. The next time I showed up at Sapien, however, most of the men were calling me ‘Sue’.”

“Where did they even get Sue from?” Prompto asked, upset and baffled at how the patrons could turn on Ignis like that.

“At Sapien, or any clubs I go to, I don’t go by Ignis. I started going by my middle name, and many of my acquaintances began shortening it to Stu. And the alias, so to speak, is for anonymity. As Noctis gets older, the more recognizable I am becoming,” Ignis explained.

Prompto nodded. “Makes sense. So how did they all know?”

“I texted him that night to find out, and he didn’t answer. So I just waited for the fallout at Sapien to pass,” Ignis said.

“I don’t understand,” Prompto admitted, feeling stupid and slow.

“He clearly told at least one person about me, for whatever reason, and that’s how it spread,” Ignis explained quickly, and Prompto could tell the man was aiming at being nonchalant, but missed the mark slightly. “I like to think he wasn’t being malicious, that perhaps he kissed and told to the wrong person.”

“But…?” the blond encouraged.

“He clearly didn’t try to put a stop to it, he never defended me, and he never returned my texts or phone calls,” Ignis said flatly.

“I just,” Prompto began, frustrated on Ignis’ behalf. “I just don’t even get why that’s even, like, an issue at all.”

“Gay men are notoriously the worst when they encounter a trans man,” Ignis said with a humorless laugh. “Especially if they wanted to fuck him.”

“Seriously?” Prompto was shocked. He had hardly any exposure to the queer community, all he knew being based on his own experience, and slowly incorporating what he was learning from Ignis.

“Seriously,” Ignis confirmed, tension building in his shoulders. “They feel tricked, apparently.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Prompto said. 

“And what would you do if you took someone home, expecting one thing and getting something different?” Ignis snapped, voice sharp with bitterness. 

Prompto froze, dread plummeting through his gut. “Did I react bad in the bathroom? I’m so sorry if I did anything offensive-”

“No, no, you were fine. Perfect, even. I’m sorry, Prompto,” Ignis sighed heavily, pushing his glasses up to massage the bridge of his nose. “You’re just asking questions. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.”

“No, I get it. It’s a sensitive topic, right?” Prompto reassured, and he really did understand. The accusation stung of course, but he couldn’t exactly hold it against Ignis. “And I guess back in the bathroom, you took a huge risk? So I get it.”

Ignis nodded gratefully, though it was obvious he was still tense and uncomfortable when he asked, “anything else you want to know?”

“I’ll look stuff up online after supper probably,” Prompto says with a shrug, and he couldn’t help the happy flutter when this finally had Ignis relaxing. 

“I have some good resources for you. This should help you quite nicely,” Ignis offered with a tired but genuine smile as he unlocked his phone. After several moments of tapping and swiping, Prompto heard his phone chime with Ignis’ notification across the room. 

“Wow, thanks, Iggy,” Prompto beams as he got up to retrieve his phone. There was a violent, angry text from Samuel which he immediately dismissed before opening one of the links he was sent. 

He scrolled through it for a while, the rest of his supper forgotten while he read. It wasn’t until Ignis began tidying the table that a thought occurred to Prompto. “Hey, Iggy, do Gladio and Noctis know?”

“Noctis does, because he knew me from before,” the man replied after a brief pause. “I didn’t start interacting with Gladio until after I began presenting as male, and I’ve never seen much of a reason to come out to him.”

“Why’s that?” Prompto asked without thinking and immediately flushed at his overstep. “If that’s okay to ask, I mean, like you don’t have to answer it or anything.”

“No, it’s fine, Prompto. Coming out is a very personal thing, and for me it’s especially stressful,” Ignis began. “Currently, my relationship with Gladio is amicable and we mesh well. My transition has not been, and might never be relevant to what I have with Gladio, so I prefer to keep it to myself.”

Prompto nodded thoughtfully. “Kinda like a risk assessment? It’s not bad while Gladio doesn’t know, but it might be bad if he found out?”

“Precisely,” Ignis confirmed. “Also, Gladio and I have an unspoken agreement to stay out of each other’s business.”

“Makes sense,” Prompto said, dropping the subject and turning his attention back to the text on his smartphone. 

They sat together at the table in easy silence for several minutes, Prompto reading the articles he was sent, and Ignis tapping away on his phone. 

“Might I ask you something?” Ignis asked. 

Prompto looked up, confused and a little nervous. “Yeah, shoot.”

“Where did you want to start your search for a new apartment? I know there are leasing options in my building, as well as Noct’s.”

Prompto laughed, surprised by the nature of the man’s question. “I don’t know. I’d like to check them out first, and maybe other options?”

“I can set up meetings with the landlords for both buildings after your classes tomorrow, if you would like,” Ignis offered, but his tone implied he’d already arranged everything. 

“Honestly, Iggy, you don’t have to do that for me,” Prompto said with a nervous laugh. “I mean, you’ve gotta be busy doing other more important things.”

“It was only a couple emails, Prompto. I won’t be able to join you for the tours, but I am certain Noctis would be happy to do so,” Ignis consoled before turning thoughtful. “Assuming he has figured out how to extricate his foot from his mouth by then.”

Prompto flinched when he thought about the argument earlier. It already felt so far away, like it had happened days ago. Nodding slightly, Prompto finally said, “okay, sounds good. Thanks, Iggy.”

“Think nothing of it,” Ignis responded with a grin. 

* * *

The next morning was almost excruciating in the car, Noctis tense and staring out the window while Prompto fidgeted next to him. He wanted to break the silence, to crack a joke and make his friend laugh, anything to bring them back to how they were. The tension floating off of the prince, though, was thick enough to cut through, so Prompto figured it best to leave him to his brooding. 

When they arrived at the university, Noctis didn’t even bid Ignis farewell, only stepped out of the car and waited moodily for Prompto to join him. 

“Thanks, Iggy,” Prompto said with some exasperation before stepping out onto the curb next to his friend. 

They walked together in tense silence until suddenly Noctis grabbed Prompto’s wrist almost too tightly and guided him into an empty classroom. 

Prompto looked around the room, confusion roiling in his gut while Noctis shut the door. “What’s up, buddy?” 

“I’m sorry for what I said yesterday,” Noctis said quickly, his tone earnest. “It was ignorant and hurtful, and I shouldn’t’ve said it.”

Prompto tried to laugh it off. “Dude, I get that you didn’t mean it-”

“No, don’t make excuses for me,” Noctis insisted, and he was visibly upset. “The way I said it made it sound like you actively chose what he did to you. That wasn’t cool, it was wrong, and I’m sorry.”

“What were you trying to say, then?” Prompto asked quietly. 

“I don’t know. I just… that kind of thing is just completely foreign to me. I mean,” Noctis blew out a frustrated breath, trying to find the words. “My dad has never so much as yelled at me, and all the people I’ve messed around with haven’t done anything like that to me. And Luna… she would never, ever do that. So I just… it doesn’t make sense to me how it got that bad.”

Prompto shrugged and said, “It’s kinda like trying to boil a frog.”

Noctis looked completely baffled, gaping for several seconds. “What?”

“You know, like the metaphor?” At Noctis’ continued baffled gaping, Prompto explained, “If you throw a frog in a pot of boiling water, it’ll jump right out? But if you slowly turn the heat up, the frog will boil to death?”

Noctis made a face. “That’s fucked up. What did the frog do to deserve getting boiled alive?”

“Noct,” the blond groaned, laughing.

“Okay, okay, that makes sense,” Noctis relented. “It started out good, and it gradually got bad.”

“Yeah, exactly. Kinda,” Prompto confirmed.

At that, the prince outright laughed. “How can it be kinda ‘exactly’?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Prompto chuckled. He glanced at his phone to check the time, frowning at the notification for a text message from Samuel. Shaking it off, Prompto looked back up at his friend. “C’mon, dude, we gotta get to class.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Noctis griped, chuckling softly. As the blond turned toward the door, Noctis grabbed him by the shoulder, his expression serious. “I’m really sorry. For everything.” 

The prince’s tone was heavy, too heavy to just be referring to the argument yesterday. With a sudden clarity, Prompto realized the Noctis was hurting for him. That what Samuel did to him for two years was weighing terribly on his friend, and Noctis was trying his hardest to make it right again.

Prompto’s throat constricted as tears threatened to form in his eyes. “Dude-”

“Just take the apology, Prom,” Noctis says with a huff, yanking the blond forward into a tight hug, holding on until Prompto was returning the embrace.

With a sigh, Prompto relaxed into the hug, letting the tears well up. Laughing, he pulled back and wiped roughly at his eyes with both hands. “Okay, you big sap. We seriously have to get to class now.”

“Fine,” Noctis said around a big sigh, clapping Prompto on the back lightly as he passed him.

* * *

The next two weeks pass in a hurry. Between classes, weapons training, and apartment hunting, Prompto barely had enough time to really rest. 

He eventually decided on a single-bedroom apartment in Noctis’ building in the end, and was ready to move in. Noctis and Gladio had made several trips to Prompto’s parents’ place to get the rest of his belongings. Almost every time they went, however, Samuel would show up, persistent and angry as always.

Not only was the man harassing Noctis and Gladio, but he was still texting Prompto. His messages were getting increasingly violent and threatening. When Noct and Gladio removed his big furniture, Samuel seemed to realize that Prompto was actually moving out and started leaving voicemails. The first two had been pleading, but quickly devolved to the same violence of  his texts.

As the fortnight went on, Ignis began withdrawing, especially with each conversation with Gladio and Noctis about Samuel. After one afternoon, when Gladio arrived with raw knuckles and a pride in rearranging Samuel’s nose, Ignis became nearly reclusive. As much as he could be, at least, when sharing his apartment with someone.

Prompto was concerned with this development, but whenever he asked after Ignis’ thoughts, the man refused to talk. He would wave Prompto off with a simple “I’m fine” and the blond was just too afraid to pry. Prompto didn’t want to ruin what friendships he did have, especially with Ignis.

The night before Prompto was set to officially move into his new place, Ignis had prepared his favourite meal; green curry. After supper, Prompto called Noctis to arrange some of the details for the next day while Ignis did the dishes in the kitchen.

“I can’t wait to get back to the gym. I feel so lazy lately,” Prompto complained, lounging across the length of the couch. “All I’ve been doing is laying around eating all of Iggy’s food.”

“Shut up,” Noctis snapped on the other end of the line. “You go way harder than I do in weapons training. You’re making me look like shit.”

“That isn’t actually enough, and you know it,” Prompto muttered, blowing a raspberry into the phone.

Noctis paused before asking, “you still gonna go to that gym, though?”

After blinking at the ceiling dumbly for a couple moments, Prompto groaned. “Oh shit, you’re right. I’m gonna have to switch gyms, too,” he said with a loud sigh. “I never should’ve gone, honestly.”

A glass shattered in the kitchen, followed by a string of loud curses.

Prompto sat up to look as Noctis asked, “Was that Specs?”

“Yeah,” Prompto said. Nothing looked immediately wrong, but Ignis’ shoulders were tense where he stood, staring down at the floor. “I’ll call you back.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll just see you tomorrow,” Noctis replied before hanging up.

Getting up, Prompto dropped his phone on the coffee table and hurried into the kitchen. Glancing at the broken glass in front of Ignis, the blond grabbed the garbage can and pulled it over.

“Iggy, you okay?” he asked, kneeling to start cleaning up some of the mess.

Ignis knelt next to Prompto, and his hands trembled as he began to help with the broken glass. “No, I’m not,” he actually admitted, though his tone was tight and cut off.

“Talk to me, Iggy,” Prompto all but pleaded, reaching over to place his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You’ve been acting weird for a while, and I’m getting really worried.”

With a shake of his head, Ignis said, “I won’t burden you with-”

“Gods, stop it!” Prompto snapped, and he skirted around the mess so that he was closer to Ignis. He lifted both hands now, placing them at the base of the man’s neck tenderly. “You won’t let me call myself a burden. Even when I eat all your food and leave my shit laying around for you to pick up later. In your own apartment. So I won’t hear any of that from you.”

“Just drop it, Prompto. Please,” Ignis said, shaking his head.

“No,” Prompto replied, his voice firm in a way that surprised even himself. “Let me be here for you.”

For several long moments, Prompto was sure Ignis was going to get up and leave him kneeling in the kitchen. The man looked angry enough at Prompto’s prying, and for a few seconds, the blond regretted pushing.

Finally, Ignis let out a frustrated huff of breath. “I did nothing to stop him.”

Prompto sucked in a harsh breath. “Don’t you dare start blaming yourself for what he did.”

“No, I don’t blame myself instead of him, but there are plenty of things I did wrong and should answer for,” Ignis replied, sounding bitter and miserable. 

Prompto shook his head, something close to anger rising in him. “No. Nope. You don’t get to blame yourself at all-”

“There were several moments I could have– no, should have stopped him, Prompto!” Ignis snapped, his voice ringing in the kitchen before he continued quieter. “Several, but I didn’t.”

“I wouldn’t’ve thanked you, Ignis,” the blond said firmly, having what amounted to an epiphany. It wasn’t something he consciously realized, but as he said it, he knew it was completely truthful. Prompto filed that away as something to reflect on later.

“That doesn’t matter, Prompto. That isn’t the point,” Ignis said miserably, refusing to meet Prompto’s eyes. “I didn’t like Samuel at all, and I should have put a stop to it immediately, but I didn’t. I allowed everything. I didn’t stay that time I walked in on you-”

Prompto rolled his eyes. “Oh, not that again, Iggy. Gladio was a shithead for getting mad at you for that-”

“No, he’s right, Prom. I saw how angry he was. I saw how nervous you were, but I did nothing. I left you there,” Ignis said sadly, shaking his head. “I left you there in that apartment and just texted you like that would have helped you.”

“Iggy-”

“Gods, I was the one who even pushed for the approval of your weekend out in Galdin Quay,” Ignis continued, starting to pull out of Prompto’s grasp. “I didn’t want to but I did it anyway.”

“Then why?” Prompto asked gently. “You want to blame yourself so badly, tell me why.”

Ignis shook his head, closing his eyes. “I can’t-”

“Why did you push for the approval? Why didn’t you stop things?” Prompto pushed, and when Ignis pulled out of his loose grip, the blond had to refrain from sighing with exasperation, “Ignis, c’mon. This can’t be a one-way street anymore. Talk to me.”

“I didn’t do anything because,” Ignis began but then he paused, sucking in a deep breath. The silence stretched, sending anxiety curling through Prompto’s stomach. He reached out again, and the man leaned away. 

“Iggy-”

“I couldn’t tell if I disliked Samuel for real reasons, or just because I was envious,” the man said in a rush.

Prompto’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“I was envious of Samuel. Intensely so,” Ignis all but snapped, avoiding eye contact. “I disliked him the moment I met him.”

“Wait a minute,” Prompto said quickly, sitting up straight and getting out of Ignis’ space. He couldn’t believe what Ignis was saying to him. He wouldn’t allow himself to even hope. “Why would you envy him? I don’t… I don’t understand.”

Ignis suddenly looked at Prompto as if startled to see him sitting there. They stared at each other until Ignis’ face softened and a light chuckle escaped him. “You really did not know how much I’ve wanted you?”

Prompto laughed out loud, the sound a loud bark in the quiet kitchen. “What?” he asked skeptically, shaking his head.

“I’ve been smitten with you for years, Prompto,” the man confessed, reaching out to brush his fingertips along Prompto’s jaw.

Prompto scrambled back an inch at the touch, flustered and confused. He didn’t know what to do with himself now that his dream was being presented to him. 

“Why didn't you say anything?” he asked finally, his heart racing in his chest.. 

“I had assumed you knew, that you didn’t say anything because you did not feel the same,” Ignis said solemnly, his lips twisting into a frown. “So I had feared my envy was clouding my judgement. That he could’ve been the best person for you and I would have still hated him. My dislike for him was, as I said, intense from day one, before he’d done anything.”

“Iggy, you’re a million miles out of my league,” Prompto said frantically, shaking his head desperately. It was overwhelming. “I- there’s no way that you can actually like me like that. I’m just… me and you’re so much better-”

“What do I have to do to get you to stop speaking so poorly about yourself?” Ignis asked, his hand reaching out again, but snapping back to his lap quickly. 

Prompto made a frustrated sound and reached up to run his hands back through his hair. “I don’t… I don’t know. I’m just still trying to process this.”

Ignis’ expression twisted slightly into something pained and regretful. “My apologies; I have only caused you more stress. It was inappropriate and selfish of me to confess such a thing right now.”

The man moved to get up and Prompto panicked, not wanting him to leave the kitchen with all of that hanging in the air between them.

“No, Ignis,” Prompto said, his hand wrapping tightly around one of Ignis’ wrists and keeping him kneeling. “I didn’t mean it like that. Just…” 

Ignis waited patiently as Prompto struggled internally, trying to put words to something he’d spent four years trying to silence. Something he spent four years trying to get rid of completely.

“I’ve been like, super into you since I was fifteen,” Prompto finally said in a quiet voice, his eyes flickering away from the man before him. “I thought I was obvious. I mean, Samuel knew.”

“What do you mean that he knew?” Ignis asked, and immediately Prompto regretted mentioning it.

“I mean, one day he figured it out. I couldn’t deny it,” Prompto admitted slowly, closing his eyes. “He never really forgave me, right? It’s why he destroyed the camera you got me, and part of why he, you know.”

Prompto gestured vaguely at his face, even though at that point the bruising had completely healed. Ignis sucked in a breath and the blond grimaced. “Prompto-”

“And I thought it made sense, you know? His anger? Because that entire time I was dicking him around,” Prompto began, interrupting whatever Ignis was about to try to say, “I knew I would’ve given you everything.”

“Prompto-”

“Like how fucked up was that? I was practically cheating on Samuel,” the blond said. “I would imagine you sometimes when I was with him. To get through some of it sometimes? It was completely unfair to Samuel.”

“No, Prompto-”

“It was! He was competing with some other guy when he didn’t even know it! I gave him nothing, when I would have literally given you  _ everything _ , Ignis,” Prompto said, finally meeting Ignis’ eyes, and to his embarrassment he had begun to tear up again. “It was super fucked up how I bent over backwards to spend time with you, even with my feelings for you, and how shitty I was being to Samuel.”

“Nothing justifies him doing that to you,” Ignis said firmly. “Absolutely nothing.”

“I’m not saying he was right to hit me, Ignis-”

“I meant all of it, Prompto,” Ignis said, frustration tinging his tone. “You weren’t ‘dicking him around’, and you certainly weren’t  _ cheating _ on him. You have a right to your boundaries, regardless if they are the same person to person.”

“But-”

“Listen to me, Prompto; just because you would have consented to certain things with me or literally anyone else doesn’t mean you owed  _ Samuel _ that same consent,” Ignis said insistently, sliding his wrist out of Prompto’s loosened grip so that he could lace their fingers together.

“That doesn’t make any sense to me,” Prompto admitted, frowning. “And I think I disagree with you.”

“It saddens me that you do,” Ignis said, and his eyes looked shiny and wet. “Why didn’t you tell me about your feelings, Prompto?”

“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror, Ignis?” Prompto laughed, tears slipping free. “You’re super gorgeous, you’re super smart. You’re sophisticated, even if you’re only a couple years older. And you’re  _ clever _ , wicked with daggers, and almost  _ royalty _ . I’m just some pleb who got lucky enough to be allowed to tag along.”

“Stop that, please. You’re so much more than you ever give yourself credit for, Prompto,” Ignis insisted. “You’re fiercely intelligent, and tough as nails. What you may lack in the academic world you more than make up for with your more practical street knowledge. You’re an amazing artist, both with your photography and the engineering feats you’ve made in the armory.”

“You saw those?” Prompto asked suddenly, his already flushed cheeks turning a deeper red.

“Of course I did. I spend quite a bit of time in the armory, and I would recognize your particular flair on anything,” Ignis said, as if it were the simplest thing. “And above everything else, you are the kindest, warmest person I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, Prompto. You’re absolutely amazing.”

Prompto laughed wetly, lifting his free hand to wipe away the tears that were flowing freely now. “How did we manage to mess things up so badly?” Prompto asked, trying for humorous and almost reaching it. 

At that, Ignis lifted his free hand to cup the back of Prompto’s head gently. “Is it too late act on this now? For both of us?” he asked carefully as he slowly pressed their foreheads together.

“I don’t know,” Prompto confessed quietly, breathless with how  _ close _ Ignis was to him. Even the cuddling didn’t feel this intimate. Nothing compared to kneeling on a kitchen floor while the love of his life held his hand and played with his hair.

Prompto let out a sigh and tilted his head so that their lips barely grazed, pulling a sigh from the other man. It couldn’t even be called a kiss, but it was electrifying and had the blond aching for  _ more _ . As Prompto leaned closer, nausea sliced through him along with panic. All he could think of was Samuel and his hands and lips. His demanding tongue and greedy sounds. 

With a half-sob, Prompto tilted his mouth away, but  kept their foreheads together. “Ignis, I can’t,” he whispered around a soft sound of despair.

“It’s okay,” Ignis soothed, turning his head so that their noses nudged gently together, their lips hovering only breath away from each other. “We don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for.”

“I want to, though,” Prompto sobbed, his sorrow rattling through him in a way he was wholly unprepared for. “I really want to. I want you, I promise, I do.”

Ignis adjusted his hands to cup Prompto’s face, wiping his tears away with his thumbs. “You don’t have to prove anything to me, Prompto. I didn’t tell you all of this to get anything out of you.”

Prompto sighed with relief and gratitude. A part of him, however, was skeptical of Ignis’ honesty. The blond berated himself, but no amount of logic or internal reasoning could silence that little voice inside him. Ignis would want something from him eventually; he was only human.

“Okay,” Prompto said finally, putting aside his distrust in Ignis to examine in private later. At that moment, he leaned in close to nuzzle noses, whispering, “can you hold me?”

Ignis pulled back with a comforting smile. “Perhaps we can finish cleaning up my mess, and then move this to the couch?”

Though the couch sounded nice, Prompto felt drained from crying and the overall stress of the past few weeks. He wanted to sleep, but he wanted the contact with Ignis, and the man’s couch was not nearly comfortable enough for prolonged use. Taking a deep breath, Prompto suggested, “or we could get comfy and go to bed?”

Ignis raised an eyebrow. Prompto knew it was merely a thoughtful expression, but he still flushed deeply and scrambled for words to explain himself.

“I mean, we can watch a movie in your room or something. I wasn’t- I didn’t mean to-”

“I know, Prompto,” Ignis soothed, running his fingers through Prompto’s hair briefly. “That sounds like a lovely idea.”

Prompto grinned happily and hurried through tidying up the glass. Ignis shooed him from the kitchen, not allowing the blond to do the sweeping. Prompto pouted slightly, but used his time to get into his sleep clothes and clean up for bed. In less than twenty minutes, both of them were changed, and tucked under the blankets of Ignis’ bed, and watching a sitcom on a streaming service Ignis was subscribed to.

Prompto sighed as he pressed close to Ignis’ side, flushing when the man wrapped an arm around him and began stroking his back lightly with his fingertips. The world stilled around them, and the blond felt a weight lift off of him. He hummed as fingers carded through his hair, letting his eyes flutter shut. When Prompto felt sleep dragging him under, he only sighed and snuggled in closer, lulled by the steady sound of Ignis’ heartbeat.


	5. Ignis: Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so first thing's first, thanks go to Besin for helping me out AS PER USUAL.  
>   
> Secondly, I am super sorry for the delay in this chapter. I post chapter 4 just before my classes got super intense and busy, and then after finals I was super burnt out and couldn't even LOOK at this fic for too long without crying. Then i went to Europe for 10 days on a class trip, and I've been writing this pretty steadily since getting back. AND HERE WE ARE.  
>   
> This chapter was a tough cookie to write but I really like where it ended up.  
>   
>  **Also** , i decided to refer to Ignis' anatomy the way I refer to my own. If this is going to be a problem I apologize, but this is the way I am most comfortable writing Ignis.  
> 

It wasn’t long after that when they are informed of Noctis’ impending betrothal to Lady Lunafreya. The news set into motion a slew of activity and preparation.

First of all, Ignis wanted to change his HRT, as it would be be difficult to keep track of and transport the syringes. Ignis decided to switch to the subcutaneous pellet form. It could last up to four months before he would have to get it redone. That would give them ample time to go on their trip and ideally get back home. They still had months before all of the logistics of the peace treaty got fully worked out, but Ignis wanted to try the new treatment before they left just in case it didn’t work out and he could attempt other options. He also explained that he might need to adjust the dosage, and that was something he had to know and do in advance.

And once it became clear that they would be leaving the wall, Ignis and Gladio were assigned regular trips for basic wilderness training. Prompto was a bit confused, seeing as they would be within easy distance from hotels. The trip, if all went smoothly, would at most take a week.

“That’s only if all goes well. We must be prepared for all possible outcomes,” Ignis had said when Prompto and Noctis asked him about it, and the prince had only grumbled about it. Prompto just wasn’t looking forward to Ignis being gone for several days at a time.

They had formed some kind of relationship, one that surpassed friendship but was still restrained and completely chaste. Ignis would take Prompto out sometimes, and other nights they would hang out at Prompto’s apartment and watch a movie, usually cuddled up against each other. Occasionally, they would spend the night together, when it became too late to go home or they had some liquor to pass the evening.

With the closing deadline, Prompto booked his surgery. It was nerve-wracking, the consultations and doctor’s visits, and even moreso when it came time to pick a date. But as he finalized the details, a weight was lifted off of his chest.

Throughout everything, Samuel continued to text Prompto.

The blond had long since blocked Samuel’s number, of course, but that had only stopped the man for a couple days. Next thing Prompto knew, he was getting texts from unknown numbers daily with the same levels of aggression and violence. He had started blocking the other numbers, but one day his coverage provider commented on how many numbers he had blocked already, and Prompto was too embarrassed to call again.

Prompto was over at Ignis’ apartment one afternoon, lounging across the man’s bed while Ignis packed his bag for his first wilderness training expedition with Gladio. His phone was on top of the dresser as he tinkered around on Ignis’ laptop, looking at schematics for various firearms he coveted. The other man was shifting through the drawers of his dresser, considering his clothing options and humming quietly, but otherwise there was a comfortable quiet.

Prompto’s phone vibrated loudly, but he ignored it. It was either a text from Noctis, or something nasty from Samuel. If it was the former, and it was important, the prince would text Ignis as well. If it was the latter, Prompto would deal with it later.

“Prompto,” Ignis suddenly said, his tone alarmed. “What is this?”

Looking over, Prompto’s heart jumped into his throat when he saw his phone in Ignis’ hand. The blond worked his way off the bed and hurried across the room to snatch the device out of Ignis’ hand. His phone was still locked, but the notification on the lock screen read clear as day.

_ ‘I know where u fucking are, u cheating whore. Should come in there rn, show u what a real man is. Ur girlfriend too.’ _

“Is that Samuel?”

Prompto looked back up at Ignis and winced at the barely concealed anger he saw in his face. While he knew that none of that was directed at him; it still made the blond skittish and afraid.

“Prompto, is that Samuel?” Ignis asked, his voice and expression softening a bit at Prompto’s hesitance.

“Yeah, probably,” Prompto finally managed, swallowing thickly as another text came in.

_ ‘Answer me, bitch,’ _ it read, and when he unlocked the device, he found a picture of Ignis’ building. Something must have changed in Prompto’s expression because Ignis gently rested his hand on his shoulder and held the other out between them. With a shaky sigh, Prompto nodded and passed his cell phone over.

It was agonizing waiting for Ignis to speak after that, as he scrolled through the numerous text messages. The man’s lips pressed into a thin line as he handed the device back to Prompto.

“How long has this been going on?” Ignis said, and his voice was flat and almost cold, making Prompto cringe.

“Since Galdin Quay,” Prompto admitted slowly, wincing again when Ignis made a displeased noise. “I’m sorry, Ignis. I figured ignoring him was the best way to get him to stop! I mean, I talked to the police and they said the same thing-”

“But why didn’t you say anything?” Ignis asked, his voice tight. “Why didn’t you tell me or Gladio? Or even the Marshal? Someone who could do something?”

“I’m not going to bother the Marshal because I have a creepy ex, Ignis,” Prompto responded sourly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “This is my problem. I’m not going to come crying to you for everything.”

“Prompto--”

“No, seriously Ignis. I can handle myself, even if you don’t think I can!” Prompto snapped, and immediately guilt flashed through him. Especially at the hurt expression that came over Ignis’ face. “I mean, I know you all think I’m like really useless at taking care of myself, but I can deal with this. It’s just a couple text messages. I’m  _ fine _ .”

“I have never thought you were useless at anything, let alone taking care of yourself,” Ignis said, his voice softening. He moved to crouch in front of the blond, one hand lifting to stroke Prompto’s cheek gently. “And I have absolute confidence in your ability to deal with this. If you were anyone else, I would be able to stand by that decision, but you’re not.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Prompto asked, leaning into the soft caress.

“You’re part of Noctis’ personal Crownsguard,” Ignis replied. “This man stalking you puts  _ Noctis _ at risk. Knowing this is happening, I am duty-bound to have it investigated and taken care of.”

Prompto grimaced, realizing belatedly how reckless and stupid he’d been about all of it. Of course he should have thought about what this meant for his responsibilities to Noctis. He jumped when another hand cupped his cheek, and focused again on his friend. The expression on Ignis’ face was so soft and tender that something ached wretchedly in Prompto’s chest.

As Ignis knelt there front of Prompto, he was certain that Ignis would kiss him. He wanted so badly for Ignis to tug him forward and press their lips together. He’d wanted it for weeks, ever since the evening on Ignis’ kitchen floor. There were several moments when Prompto thought that Ignis would finally close the distance, but it never came. Even though he knew that Ignis wouldn’t kiss him, there was still that pang hope. And the stab of disappointment when Ignis straightened slightly and dropped his hands to rest on Prompto’s shoulders.

“I also want you to be safe. I want this man out of your life, for good,” Ignis said finally. “I want you to feel safe and happy, Prompto.”

“I do, most of the time. I mean, I only ever feel scared when he texts me,” Prompto said quickly, chewing on his lip.

“And how often does he text you?” Ignis asked, and almost as if on cue, Prompto’s phone vibrated. Ignis sighed and stood back up. “I’m going to have to read what text messages you still have on your phone, and then contact your provider to investigate further.”

“I would really rather you didn’t,” Prompto said sadly, shaking as he thought of Ignis reading everything that Samuel had sent him. A lot of it was terrifying, and an alarming amount was about Ignis and what Samuel wanted to do to him.

“I know, and I’m sorry that I have to invade your privacy again. I will… defer to the Marshal if that is preferable,” Ignis responded and his voice did sound truly regretful.

“No! I mean,” Prompto said quickly, shaking his head and handing his phone back to Ignis. “If anyone goes through my phone, I would prefer you to do it.”

The next hour was nearly silent, with Prompto returning his attention to the laptop and Ignis scrolling through Prompto’s phone. He flinched every time his phone chimed; he knew it was Samuel, and he knew by Ignis’ growing tension that the man was getting worse. Finally Ignis sighed and handed the device back to Prompto.

“I will see to it that this gets dealt with,” Ignis said simply and looked around, his eyes narrowing when they landed on the clock. “What do you say to going out for dinner tonight?”

“You don’t want to make something?” Prompto asked, even as he shut his laptop and stood up.

“I want to wine and dine you properly before I go away for four days,” Ignis replied, leaning in to press their foreheads together. “Is that agreeable to you?”

“Yeah,” Prompto said with a breathless laugh, his mouth open and almost pleading for a kiss. Ignis stepped back, however, to get his jacket from the wardrobe.

The next morning, Prompto woke up in his own bed alone. Looking at the clock on his bedside table, he saw he had barely missed seeing Ignis off. A little sore that the man hadn’t woken him up, Prompto tucked himself back in and lazed in bed for another half an hour. Eventually, his various urges took priority and he stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom.

It was around ten in the morning when Prompto finally made it into living room and flopped down on the couch to play a game. He and Noctis were on their spring break for school, so he had nowhere else to be.

It was about an hour later that Noctis strolled in and immediately started yammering at him about something or another. Prompto laughed and paused his game when Noctis sat heavily next to him.

“Dude, are you still in your pyjamas?” Noctis asked, his expression almost envious.

“I washed up. These are clean lazy clothes,” Prompto responded, starting his game again.

“You got food?” the prince asked as he stood, and Prompto nodded with an affirming noise.

Prompto could hear the pantry door open and then close after a couple moments, and then the fridge door opened and there was a long pause. Curious, Prompto glanced over his shoulder but only saw Noctis staring into the appliance. A few moments later, the fridge closed and the pantry opened again.

“Dude, let’s order a pizza if you can’t find anything you like,” Prompto called when he heard this go one for another couple of minutes, rolling his eyes. He could probably whip something up that Noctis would like, but he felt too relaxed to actually get up.

“Prom,” Noctis started slowly, rounding the couch to meet Prompto’s eyes. “Are you and Specs dating?”

“What?” Prompto squeaked, fumbling the controller in his hands. He could feel the blush crawl down his neck and shoulders. “Why would--why would you even ask th-that?”

“You have a flat of Ebony in the fridge, and three more in your pantry,” Noctis replied flatly, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yeah, so?” Prompto replied, aiming for nonchalant and missing it by miles. “He spends a lot of time at my place-”

“He spends a lot of time at my place, too. Doesn’t mean I let him put his crude oil in my fridge,” the prince interrupted.

“Noct, It’s really not--”

“Why are you lying?” Noctis asked, and shame flashed through Prompto.

“I’m not!” he defended himself, and Noctis shook his head.

“So you’re gonna tell me you have a sudden interest in--what is this?” the prince began, picking up one of the books stacked on the coffee table and squinted at the words on the front. “This book is in a completely different language, Prom.”

“Again, Ignis hangs out here a lot, so--”

“And there’s a note in the kitchen!” Noctis interjected, his head tipped slightly. 

“There is?” the blond asked quickly, sitting up straight. Despite all his bluster and attempts to deflect the prince, the words had hope and glee surging through Prompto.

Noctis whooped triumphantly. “Nope, that was a lie, but you seemed awfully hopeful.”

Prompto blew a frustrated breath through his lips before leaning back into the couch heavily, staring up at the ceiling. “We haven’t even  _ discussed _ anything like that in weeks. And even if we did, we haven’t  _ done _ anything, so it hardly counts.”

“Dude, does he take you out?” the prince asked, sitting down on the couch next to him.

“Well, yeah, sometimes,” he said, shrugging one shoulder, smiling lightly as he remembered the night before. Ignis had taken him out to one of the fancier restaurants a few blocks away, one that had a rooftop patio with lovely views of a nearby park.

“And does Ignis spend the night here?” Noctis continued, laughing at the flush that overtook his friend’s face and neck. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’. So where’s the confusion? I mean, sounds like you’re dating to me.”

“We haven’t, you know,  _ done _ anything,” Prompto said in a low voice, his blush crawling down his chest.

“What does that even mean, Prom?”

“Ignis hasn’t even kissed me. Hasn’t even asked to kiss me,” Prompto finally bit out. “I don’t even know what we are to each other.”

“Prom, relationships aren’t just about sex or kissing. You can be dating someone and not do that stuff,” Noctis said, shrugging when Prompto looked at him.

“But I want to try with Ignis,” Prompto said quietly.

“Then just do it, dude. Or talk to him about it. He’s probably waiting for you to change the rules,” Noctis suggested. “I mean, I would try to do the same with my partner if they’d gone through what you have.”

“I trust him though,” Prompto insisted, frustration building in him. He didn’t want to be coddled, or pitied, not even by Ignis. Especially not by Ignis.

“I know you do but, I don’t know,” Noctis said with a slight huff. “I guess I can’t speak for Specs, but I know I would want to know that everything was my partner’s choice, right? That they wanted it, and not just because  _ I  _ wanted it, you know?”

Prompto mulled that over and nodded, his frustration being replaced by guilt at thinking so angrily about it, even briefly. “So you think he might just be afraid of pressuring me?” 

“Yeah, maybe. Talk to him about it when he gets back, though,” Noctis said with finality, standing up to dig in his pockets for his phone. “Pizza sounds awesome though.”

The weekend passed slowly after that, an agonizing drawl that Prompto tried to fill with distracting activities. He spend an ungodly amount of time at the gym, and stayed up late at Noctis’ apartment playing video games, and slept in on the Saturday. Prompto felt Ignis and Gladio pull on the armory a couple times, but that was to be expected during a survival training expedition. He tried not to worry about it too much.

At one point during the weekend, Prompto realized that Samuel didn’t text him once. His phone was actually blissfully quiet except for the odd text message from Noctis here and there. Ignis must have made good on his promise to have the matter investigated, and Samuel was backing off.

It was relatively early on Sunday morning when Prompto was woken up by the feeling of weapons being drawn. He knew it wasn’t Noctis; it felt different when Noct called on his own swords. It had to be Ignis or Gladio, which was concerning as they were supposed to be heading back shortly.

Grabbing his phone, Prompto sent a quick text to Ignis.  _ ‘Everything alright?’ _

About twenty minutes later, during which Prompto had paced anxiously, Ignis replied.  _ ‘Everything is fine. Just dispatching a foul beast that wandered too close to camp. Heading back now.’ _

Prompto sighed with his relief, typing out a reply.  _ ‘I kinda missed you.’ _

Instantly, his phone pinged.  _ ‘The feeling is mutual. I’ll see you in a few hours.’ _

Furrowing his brow, Prompto calculated how long it should take Ignis actually get back.  _ ‘It shouldn’t take you that long to drive back, should it?’ _

About twenty minutes later, while Prompto made himself a proper breakfast, Ignis got back to him.  _ ‘I need to shower first.’ _

_ ‘You could always just shower here,’ _ Prompto suggested, pouting about not getting to see Ignis sooner.

Another forty minutes passed before Ignis replied, and by then Prompto was getting ready to head to the gym.  _ ‘I am truly disgusting, Prompto. The beast this morning was particularly gross and I fear I’m covered in its fluids.’ _

Prompto made a face while he chuckled.  _ ‘Ew gross. Please, fix that up in your shower, not mine. I’ll see you later. ;D’  _

Waiting after that was excruciating, knowing that Ignis was on his way, but still so far away. The hours passed slowly, filled with anxious pacing, a picked-at lunch, and some listless video game playing. When there was a knock on the door, Prompto all but flew off the couch to answer it, grinning as he met green eyes.

Ignis opened his mouth to greet him, but Prompto was already leaning up to press a kiss to Ignis’ parted lips. The older man sucked in a breath through his nose and held very still as Prompto pulled back slowly. There was no tension, no nausea, nothing that Prompto felt all those weeks ago when Ignis had first leaned in to kiss him. All he had were butterflies swarming in his stomach and he leaned back in for a deeper kiss.

The other man happily responded to this one, opening for Prompto’s tongue and sighing. The blond lost himself in the kiss, eyes shut and breath leaving him. And Ignis was so responsive, sighing and groaning as Prompto delved deeper and held him closer. The only problem was that Ignis was being deliberately gentle, holding himself back in such an obvious way it broke Prompto out of it.

“You don’t have to baby me, Iggy,” Prompto whispered, pressing his mouth softly against Ignis’ cheek.

“I don’t want to hurt you, or pressure-”

“You aren’t pressuring me, and you won’t hurt me,” Prompto insisted, moving his lips over Ignis’. “If I’m kissing you;  _ kiss me _ .”

The older man chuckled and pushed forward slightly until the blond took a step backward. “Perhaps we should move this inside, then?”

“Oh crap, yeah, you’re right,” Prompto said, flushing a deep pink.

Ignis suddenly smiled so sweetly that Prompto’s chest ached. “I’ve missed you quite a bit, Prompto. Even though it was only a few days.”

“I missed you, too,” Prompto said around a chuckle, grabbing Ignis’ wrist and tugging him into the apartment. 

He guided the man to the couch, pushing him back onto it and straddling his lap. They were kissing again in moments and Prompto felt the difference; the way Ignis held onto him, pressed his tongue into Prompto’s mouth, and bit at his lips whenever they pulled away to breathe. Heat arced through the blond and he hitched his hips forward with a shattered sigh. Ignis groaned deep in his chest and soon both of his hands were on Prompto’s hips, thumbs hooked into his belt loops and fingers splayed. Prompto had handfuls of Ignis’ hair as he rutted forward before grinding down.

His brain was slow to catch up, however, and then he realized that Ignis wasn’t getting as much out of this as he was. With a grunt, Prompto pulled back enough to topple Ignis over. After a few clumsy, uncoordinated movements of legs, Prompto found himself situated between Ignis’ thighs. The older man had splayed them wide, one leg flung over back of the couch, while the other hung off the edge. He was breathless and flushed, lips a deep red and wet with shared spit. 

Prompto sighed before descending on Ignis, mouth open to meet the brunet, and his hips settling into the junction of Ignis’ legs.

At the first rock of Prompto’s pelvis, Ignis all but shouted into the blond’s mouth. The next movement pulled a high-pitched keen from the man and Prompto was lost from that point on. Everything he did was to pull those delightful noises from Ignis. It wasn’t long before they were merely panting into each other’s open mouths while they rutted against the other. One of Ignis’ hands was in Prompto’s hair, the other on his lower back to encourage the sinful movements.

Ignis’ release arrived fast and loud, the man tearing his mouth away from Prompto’s to breathe through the sobs that were wrung from him. It was those sounds, desperate and shattered as they were, that pushed Prompto over the edge. He moaned into Ignis’ sweaty shoulder and spilled himself inside his pants like a teenager.

They laid together on the couch like that, panting for breath and sweat cooling on their skin. Prompto’s pants were getting sticky and uncomfortable, but he couldn’t bring himself to pull away from Ignis’ embrace.

“This was a nice way to come home,” Ignis said breathlessly, swallowing thickly. Prompto chuckled and lifted his head to meet Ignis’ eyes.

“Yeah, I uh, had these plans to like,  _ talk _ to you and stuff. I guess I got carried away?” Prompto said sheepishly, pressing a slow kiss to Ignis’ lips.

“And what did you want to talk about?” the older man asked, sliding both hands up to cup Prompto’s cheeks.

“That I, uh, I want to try. For real with you. Like with kissing and, you know, other stuff,” Prompto replied as he pulled away a bit, flushing deeply.

Ignis laughed breathlessly, pausing to bite at Prompto’s bottom lip. “Oh, really now?” 

“Yeah,” Prompto replied, pressing Ignis back down against the couch for another searching kiss. “Yeah.”

* * *

It didn’t take long for anxiety to catch up with Prompto. A week, to be exact.

Nothing had really changed between them, other than the new and exciting physical affection. Ignis still didn’t initiate things, which simultaneously annoyed Prompto and filled him with gratitude. But Ignis was always happy to reciprocate when the blond yanked him down for a kiss, and only went as far as Prompto was comfortable with.

One morning, however, things had gotten heated in the kitchen and Ignis’ hand slipped under the hem of Prompto’s shirt. The blond flinched and pulled back. After that, Prompto couldn’t get back into the mood to go much further than chaste kisses before nausea overtook him, and he had to pull away completely. It was Ignis’ frown as he turned back to the stove that ultimately sent his anxiety into a tailspin.

Being dropped off at university while this still roiled in his gut was agony. He tried to focus on classes and keeping his eyes on Noct. All he could think about was Ignis’ disappointment that morning. It stuck with him all through dinner, and even as he laid in Ignis’ bed, the other man already dozing beside him.

Prompto stared at him, chewing his lip while his thoughts twisted inside him. Ignis was already getting bored of what they were doing, and Prompto couldn’t blame him. How could he be kept content with dry-humping like horny teenagers? And they had done that much, it should be easy to go further than that.

_ ‘You’re being a baby. He’s not going to wait forever,’ _ Prompto thought viciously, and swallowed his nausea.

He rolled over to mouth at Ignis’ throat, delighting in his sleepy moan, and waited for him to wake up. Once green eyes met his, Prompto was on him, straddling Ignis’ waist while they kissed roughly, demanding tongues slipping into each other’s mouths. Prompto’s fingers began working on the buttons of Ignis’ pyjama shirt, prompting a sigh and a moan from him. 

Ignis’ hands went to the hem of the blond’s shirt, and a wave of panic shuddered through him. He nearly shrunk away, his abdomen bunching and his eyes screwing tightly shut. His shivering hands faltered where they rested midway through unbuttoning Ignis’ shirt, instead moving to grip the material to stop his shaking.

Belatedly he realized he’d paused too long, and Ignis was tipping his head away. Panic flaring again, Prompto pressed back in with near-sob, pulling on Ignis’ shirt hard enough to pop the next button right off.

Ignis froze under him.

Prompto cursed himself internally and pressed in harder, trying to deepen the kiss, but Ignis wouldn’t respond. “Iggy, please,” Prompto whispered, even as nausea roiled in his gut.

“Do you actually want this?” Ignis asked instead, allowing only one more kiss before bracing his hands gently against Prompto’s shoulders. He wasn’t pushing him away, but he was obviously preparing to. Prompto began to tear up when Ignis turned his face away. “I need to hear you say it, Prompto.” 

Prompto let out a frustrated huff, both at his tears and Ignis. He wanted to make things okay between them, to take care of Ignis’ needs, and the man wouldn’t let him. Even though he felt sick to his stomach at the thought of being naked and touched, Prompto wanted Ignis to feel good. 

Swallowing around the sob that was building, Prompto sat up and grabbed the hem of his own shirt, ready to pull it over his head. Ignis grabbed his wrists gently, but firmly, and Prompto couldn’t stop his tears then.

“Prompto,” Ignis said softly, and turned on the lamp as he sat up. The man was painfully handsome in the low lighting, his green eyes unobscured by his glasses and his hair hanging around his face. With a short hum in the back of his throat, Ignis wrapped his arms around Prompto in a loose embrace. “What’s going on?”

“I was trying--I wanted to do more for you,” Prompto replied shakily, relaxing and dropping his head onto Ignis’ shoulder. Tears fell from Prompto’s eyes unbidden, and he hated himself for it.

“More?” The naked confusion in Ignis’ voice stabbed deep, and Prompto pulled back to meet his eyes again. “Prompto, having you is more than enough for me.”

“You have needs,” Prompto began and Ignis shook his head.

“I don’t have ‘needs’, Prompto,” Ignis said, and he shook his head again at Prompto’s skeptical expression. “I have wants, desires, yes. I find you very attractive and distracting beyond measure, but I don’t have needs that must be fulfilled to survive. Nobody does, and I hate that you’ve been  _ trained _ to think people do.”

Prompto flushed at that and bit his lip. “I want to do this with you, though. I want to try.”

“I will happily help you, but I will not have you start things you are not ready for. You have to want it one-hundred percent, not just because you think I want it. Or worse,  _ need  _ it,” Ignis said firmly, leaning his forehead against Prompto’s.

“But I just thought, because of this morning that you were, I don’t know, getting annoyed,” the blond confessed, closing his eyes.

“Prompto, I was mad at myself for pushing you,” Ignis insisted. “I will never be angry at you for having limits.”

“But I’ll never know what I’m ready for until I try, but I don’t want things to just stop,” Prompto murmured. “And I don’t want you to coddle me either. I want you to start things, and I kinda want you to push my boundaries a little, but I dunno how that would work.”

Ignis hummed thoughtfully before leaning back on his hands. “We can use the traffic light system. You tell me a colour depending on how you feel. Green means all is good and okay, no fear or anxiety.”

“Yellow means slow?” Prompto asked, and Ignis nodded.

“Yellow would more mean back off a bit while you decide,” Ignis clarified. “You would follow up a ‘yellow’ with a ‘green’ or a ‘red’.”

“But wouldn’t red mean stop everything?” Prompto asked, but he already liked this idea.

“We’re going to use this system for specific actions, not sex as a whole. ‘Stop’ means stop everything entirely. Red just means ‘stop this particular thing,’” Ignis replied.

“Okay,” Prompto said softly, smiling lightly. “Yeah let’s do that.”

“You have to use it, though. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I pushed you too far past your limits,” Ignis replied firmly.

Prompto nodded and bit his lip again. “I’m still, I don’t know, feeling guilty about not being able to do more for you.”

“I don’t need you to do more. I can take care of myself,” Ignis said lightly with a wink.

Prompto was struck by the image of Ignis touching himself; the way the man’s neck would arch and the noises Ignis would make as he came so clear in his mind. His cock twitched, and shame twisted in his gut. Heat crawled down his neck and chest as he lifted himself off of Ignis before his interest became obvious.

“I’m gonna try and sleep now,” he said in a hurry, pulling the duvet back up to cover his growing interest.

“Of course,” Ignis responded while clearing his throat and moving to get off the bed. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Wait, where are you going?” Prompto asked quickly, his anxiety spiking.

Ignis chuckled softly, and Prompto could see a blush rise to his cheeks in the gentle light from the lamp. “I suppose I enjoy being woken up like that just a little too much. I can’t quite, uhm, calm down so to speak.”

Prompto bit his lip as arousal spiked through him, and reached across the bed to wrap his fingers around Ignis’ wrist. Ignis looked over at him questioningly, and Prompto said quietly, “You don’t have to leave to do that.”

He didn’t miss the way Ignis’ nostrils flared, or the hungry look that passed over his face for a split second. “Are you sure?” Ignis asked, allowing Prompto to pull him back onto the bed.

“Yeah, green light and whatever,” Prompto said with a smile, ignoring the way his cock was straining against his sleep pants. “I think I’ll be fine just watching you. Like we’re not having sex.”

“Prompto, I want you to understand that if we do this, it is sex,” Ignis said insistently, suddenly concerned. “What we’ve done while making out is sex, too.”

“But we haven’t, you know, gone all the way or anything,” Prompto responded, confusion overcoming him.

Ignis furrowed his brow, and he slowly said, “penetrative sex is just one kind of sex. You understand, right?”

Prompto bit his lip, and glanced away. In his head he heard Samuel saying a blow job wasn’t sex, that it was okay. For a brief moment, panic began to rise as he almost physically felt a hand on the back of his head pushing him down, down, down...

Swallowing thickly as he pushed back the panic, Prompto said, “I never thought of it like that.”

Hands cupped his face and he looked up, meeting Ignis’ eyes. “To me this is sex. All of it has been sex,” Ignis said quietly. “I need you to understand that before we go any further.”

“Yeah,” Prompto responded, his chest bursting with something intense and warm. “I get it, Iggy.”

“I need to be sure you’re fully okay with this in that context,” Ignis continued, his thumbs stroking Prompto’s cheeks soothingly.

Prompto took a deep breath and released it slowly. Something unwound in his chest as he forced Samuel’s words out of his mind, pushed against the twisted, toxic sensuality Samuel instilled in him. 

With another breath, Prompto nodded and said, “Yeah, okay. Green light, Iggy.”

Ignis considered for a moment, examining Prompto’s face, before nodding slightly. 

He slid his unbuttoned shirt off of his shoulders as he got off the bed. Prompto watched him cross the room to the dresser, where he opened the top drawer and procured a bottle of lube and a purple dildo. Prompto’s breath caught at the thought of Ignis fucking himself with it, and he could see himself holding it, moving it inside his lover.

Prompto was startled out of his daydreams by Ignis dropping the items on the bed. 

“Everything still okay?” Ignis asked gently from where he stood next to the bed.

“Yeah, hell yeah, green,” Prompto replied, nodding vigorously.

“I’m glad,” Ignis said with a small smirk that made Prompto’s heart clench.

Ignis began divesting himself of the rest of his clothes, and Prompto flushed at seeing his lover completely naked. He wasn’t completely unaccustomed to the sight, having seen Ignis in various states of undress while getting ready for their day or going to bed. This was, however, the first time he had seen him naked like this.

Ignis was sitting on the edge of the bed to slip his sleep pants and underwear off. For the first time, Prompto noticed that Ignis had quite a few freckles across the back of his neck and shoulders, as well as a mole just below his right shoulder blade. Otherwise, his skin was smooth; flawless and bronze, the shade darker in the soft lighting. 

When Ignis turned to crawl further onto the bed, Prompto bit his own lip as desire washed through him. He was all lean muscle, with broad shoulders and a trim waist. His abdomen was flat and toned, with a kempt trail of dark hair leading to the junction of his thighs.

The need to touch Ignis was almost too much, but Prompto kept his hands dutifully to himself as Ignis reclined beside him and spread his legs. Prompto sat up slightly to watch, eyes roving hungrily over Ignis’ torso and pelvis. The other man’s dick was swollen, demanding attention which Ignis happily gave.

Prompto watched as Ignis stroked himself between his thumb and forefinger, memorizing the movements for the day he might be able to do that for his lover. Sighs spilled from Ignis’ panting mouth, his head tipping back against the pillows and his thighs spreading wider. Prompto couldn’t take his eyes off of Ignis’ face as he descended further into his pleasure, enraptured by the soft blush that had risen to his cheeks.

The man stopped his motions—Prompto couldn’t help the chuckle at the sad sound Ignis made—and reached for the dildo and lube. Ignis met Prompto’s gaze as he slowly spread lube over the toy, and very suddenly he realized the man was putting on a show. He watched the motion of Ignis’ slick hand on the toy, swallowing audibly at the wet sound of it, and had to look away before he did something rash.

He heard Ignis laugh, before the sound was cut off by a hitch in his breath. Prompto turned back as Ignis slid the toy down the underside of his dick and teased at pressing into his entrance. Reaching down with his other hand, Ignis twisted the knob on the end, and a low buzzing filled the air. Prompto was taken with the way Ignis arched off the bed, his mouth going dry as Ignis shuddered with a guttural groan.

It was not long before Ignis was all but writhing next to Prompto, straight teeth pressed harshly into his lower lip while he moaned and gasped. Prompto palmed himself through his own pants, eyes wide as he took in the gorgeous sight. He wanted to lean over and kiss the man; mouth at his neck and trace the scars on his chest with his tongue. He wanted so badly to touch that he physically ached with it.

Then Ignis pressed the vibrator gently inside and his thick moan did Prompto in.

“Iggy, can I kiss you?”

“ _ Please _ !” Ignis cried, nodding frantically and turning his face blindly toward Prompto.

He was on him instantly, their mouths crashing together almost painfully, tongues meeting while Ignis fucked himself with the toy. Prompto pressed up against Ignis’ side and wrapped his legs around the other man’s bare thigh. Delicious friction pressed against his clothed erection, and Prompto moaned into Ignis’ mouth.

Ignis paused then--briefly and with a shattered sound--and Prompto nodded. “Green light, Iggy.”

At that, Ignis angled his thigh just a bit more, pressing it more firmly against Prompto and smiling breathlessly at his groan. Prompto kissed the smile away, biting Ignis’ bottom lip a little rougher than normal. A needy sound was pulled from Ignis, and his mouth fell open to allow Prompto’s tongue once again.

With a fortifying breath, Prompto reached down and swept his hand along Ignis’ lower abdomen, his fingers teasing at the coarse hair at the junction of his thighs. “Can I…?”

“By the Six,  _ yes _ ,” Ignis said, the words caught between a moan and a whine.

He choked when Prompto flickered his fingers over his dick, teasing at the tip before stroking it the way Ignis had earlier. The angle was awkward, but by the way Ignis was all but shouting, it was clear it more than did the job.

With a huff and a grunt, Prompto lifted himself up onto his hands and knees, breaking the kiss with his lover. Ignis whined but moaned when Prompto knocked his hand away from the vibrator. He took control, fucking Ignis in gentle but firm strokes, dropping down onto his elbow so he could kiss the man again.

Ignis panted against his mouth, hands wringing the pillows while he tried to focus. “I w-want to hold you,” Ignis murmured, groaning thickly as Prompto licked into his mouth at the same time he angled the toy inside him.

“Green light,” Prompto said, shuddering as Ignis’ arms immediately wound around his shoulders. A hand was in his hair and Prompto couldn’t think of anything that had ever felt as good. With a hum, Prompto twisted the knob on the toy.

Ignis writhed, hand twisting in Prompto’s hair and the other hand slapping the mattress to wring the duvet in a white-knuckled grip. His head lolled back, mouth open around a silent cry. His mouth was red and slick, swollen from their kisses, and Prompto couldn’t have helped his moan at the sight even if he had tried.

“P-Prom-- _ fuck _ , I’m so close,” Ignis gasped, shuddering as Prompto resumed the firm thrusting. With a breathless sound of need, Prompto sat up on his knees between Ignis’ spread thighs. Sliding the fingers of his free hand through the excess slickness around the toy, Prompto went back to stroking Ignis’ dick.

The reaction was instant; a dramatic bowing of Ignis’ back, thighs pinning Prompto between them. Hands locked around his wrists in a nearly painful grip, holding him in place. Prompto drank in the sight, his lungs tight with the breath he was holding. But he was drowning in it; the sounds Ignis made as he rapidly approached his release, the absolute vision of his eyes rolling back and mouth hanging open, the gorgeous curve of his throat. Muscles rippled under his skin as he twitched and squirmed under his pleasure and Prompto was struck with the absolute need to lick every square inch of flesh.

That would have to wait for another time, however, as Prompto wasn’t sure just how far he could comfortably take this new development.

Ignis arched off the bed with a guttural sound, his knees pressing into Prompto’s ribs painfully for a long moment. Prompto stroked Ignis through his orgasm, pulling out more needy, breathless sounds from him until he whined. The legs around him went limp and the hands still clamped around his wrists pushed.

“Can’t--” Ignis began before another shudder wracked his body, the toy still torturing his hypersensitive body.

“Wow,” Prompto murmured, withdrawing the toy and turning it off. He had to press the heel of his palm into his own lap. His own arousal had taken a backseat through all of that, but now that it was over, he needed to slip away and relieve some pressure.

“‘Wow’ he says,” Ignis muttered incredulously with a jittery laugh, his thighs shivering where they were splayed. “As if you didn’t just give me one of the most intense orgasms I’ve ever had.”

Prompto could feel himself blushing as he laughed it off, glancing away from Ignis quickly. His confidence was apparently short-lived, only properly functional when Ignis was mindless and unable to actually look at him. “You’re just saying that.”

“I don’t make a habit of lying, Prompto. Especially not to you,” Ignis responded, and his tone was surprisingly firm given the way he was still shaking. Prompto flushed deep red again, but he refrained from arguing.

With a grunt, Ignis began to sit up. “I need to clean that before we go to bed,” he said, reaching for the toy but Prompto pulled it away.

“Uhm, I’ll clean it,” he said quickly, thankful for the excuse to slip away.

Ignis studied his face before sighing and laying back. “I’m not sure I could walk anyway,” he conceded with another laugh. “The cleaning solution is in the bottom drawer in the bathroom.”

“‘Kay,” Prompto said quickly and slipped off the bed.

“Let it air-dry, though,” Ignis murmured around a yawn.

“Got it,” he said, shutting the door to the bathroom and set about finding the cleaning solution for the toy. 

There was the hope that taking care of the toy would lessen his need, would give his arousal time to settle into something manageable. It was impossible, however, for him to separate the device from what had just happened. There was a moment, just before rinsing it, that he was struck with the desire to lick it, to taste Ignis on it, and just that urge alone left him lightheaded and shaking.

When he finally managed to clean it, he was just as hard as before. He couldn’t return to bed like that, aching and breathless.

Prompto shoved his sleep pants and boxers down just enough to free his cock, spitting on his other hand. Hissing at the nearly dry friction, he pumped himself desperately. Shame filled him, that he was doing this hurriedly in the bathroom instead of just letting Ignis get him off. That all he wanted was to go back into the room and properly fuck Ignis, even after everything the man allowed him to do. That he still just wanted more and more.

His orgasm was swift and hard, making his knees almost buckle and he barely got his free hand there to catch his release. Breathing heavily, he washed his hands and got a wet washcloth before returning to the bedroom.

Ignis seemed to have barely moved, hands resting on his flat stomach and legs spread. His inner thighs glistened with lube and slick in the dim lighting, and Prompto felt himself stir in spite of his activities in the bathroom. Swallowing thickly, he climbed onto the bed and brought the warm cloth to Ignis’ skin.

“Mm, thank you, love,” Ignis murmured, the petname arcing through Prompto like lightning. Ignis continued to hum contentedly, dozing lightly as Prompto cleaned him up. “You are a gift.”

Warmth burst in Prompto’s chest and he knew the smile on his face was a little dopey as he gently washed Ignis as best he could. When he finished, he looked up to find Ignis watching him through hooded eyes.

“What?” Prompto asked.

“Can I not just admire my boyfriend?” Ignis responded with a content smile.

Prompto flushed deeply. “You’re apparently a sap after sex,” he grumbled as he moved to go back to the bathroom with the cloth.

“Just leave it on the table,” Ignis said, grabbing Prompto’s wrist to keep him from leaving. “We can deal with it in the morning.”

“Okay,” Prompto readily agreed. “You wanna get dressed again?”

“Would it bother you if I didn’t?”

“Not at all,” Prompto replied, lying down next to Ignis and pulling the blankets up and over them both. Ignis immediately rolled over to slide his arm around Prompto’s waist.

“Does it bother you that I’m a ‘sap’ as you called me?” Ignis asked, his voice muddled with exhaustion.

“No, I like it. A lot. I’m just not used to it,” Prompto replied, rolling onto his side to tuck himself into the curve of Ignis’ body. He didn’t elaborate, that he meant he wasn’t accustomed to being cuddled and so plainly appreciated after sex.

“Well that should be easily remedied,” Ignis said before yawning hugely and humming as he pulled Prompto closer against him.

“Yeah,” Prompto said quietly with a grin and a blush. “Yeah it should.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read, review, repeat! you can find me on [tumblr](http://kissaranea.tumblr.com)!


	6. Ignis: Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New chapter, new tags. Please note the new tags. Also, again, I refer to Ignis' anatomy the same way I refer to my own. Please do not review how I refer to it, I am not open to feedback on this. My lengthy absence explained in the notes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is uh....barely edited. I wanted to thank breotch for the lovely reviews that gave me the motivation to at least write to a point where i could post SOMETHING. you'll notice that this fic still has one more chapter to go.  
>   
> As for my long absence, I had a lot happen since I last posted for this fic. School and my internship kicked my ass, and I don't know if I ever said anything in the notes, but my father was terminally ill. He passed away in September of 2017 and I've been really struggling with grief and depression since. I might be back on the fanfic wagon, but I make no promises.  
>   
> thank you everyone for your patience! please enjoy this small morsel!!!!  
> 

It was a few weeks later when news broke that several high-ranking members of society were arrested for treason, including Samuel’s father and apparently Samuel himself.

Prompto sat on the couch in his apartment, game controller forgotten in his lap while he listened to the broadcast on his phone.

_ “It was found out through Samuel Amato, who was detained earlier this month, that his father, Gaius Amato, had been dealing weapons and research with the Niflheim Empire. How far this plot goes is still being investigated, and brings tension to the coming peace talks later this year. When asked about Samuel Amato’s thus far secret arrest earlier this month, Marshal Cor Leonis only stated he had been under investigation for threats against the Crown Prince Noctis. More later as the story develops.” _

“Ah, so something did turn up from that investigation,” Ignis said as he walked in from the kitchen. He dropped off a drink for Prompto before taking his own seat in the oversized armchair Prompto bought for himself.

“I didn’t know Samuel was arrested. I mean, he’s left me alone, but I thought he just,” Prompto muttered thoughtfully, shrugging. “I thought he backed off for a bit.”

“I did quite a bit of digging into your phone records, and conferred with the Marshal,” Ignis responded, and when Prompto looked up at him, alarmed, he continued. “There was a series of text messages he sent you, and they were the only ones you responded to. He threatened Noctis.”

“And I told him that was treason,” Prompto finished, and it clicked in his mind. At the time, he had pulled rank on Samuel, and it was the one time the man had actually stopped a line of threats. However, after an actual investigation was launched, those messages would have to be addressed.

“Precisely. So things were dealt with accordingly. He tried to bargain with the tidbit about his father, but of course he’s too closely embroiled in his father’s business to not have been involved himself,” Ignis said with a sigh, picking up a book from the coffee table and opening it to the bookmark.

“Yeah,” Prompto sighed, mulling over the new information. This meant that Samuel would be gone forever. Treason was at least life in prison or exile, but most would be executed. There was a twinge of remorse at the thought of Samuel possibly dying, but there was nothing Prompto could do about that.

What struck him the most, though, was the relief that flooded through him. He could go out without feeling afraid and tense, he could truly relax now with his friends, with Ignis.

“I was wondering if, now that Samuel appears to be out of the picture, you would want to go to Sapien with me,” Ignis said suddenly, and Prompto looked over at him quickly. The man was still looking down at the page of his book, but there was a slight tinge to his cheeks.

“Why’re you so nervous? We’ve been dating for, like, months, Iggy,” Prompto laughed, and something fluttered in his stomach as he said that. 

“There’s a difference between taking you out to dinner and taking you to a queer club, Prompto,” Ignis replied dryly, finally looking up from his book.

“Sure there is,” Prompto said with a roll of his eyes and a laugh. “When’d you wanna go?”

“We could go tonight, if you’re willing,” Ignis said, smirking slightly.

“Okay,” Prompto agreed, excited to finally be going, though his nerves were quick to catch up to him. “I’ve never been to a club. I dunno how much I’ll really fit in.”

“I don’t usually go to the club part of Sapien. There’s a bar in the basement that’s quieter and more relaxed,” Ignis said, marking his page and closing the book before standing. “I should go home to get ready if we’re going tonight.”

“I have some of your clothes here,” Prompto said quickly, flushing when Ignis quirked a brow at him. “I mean, you’ve left some of your stuff here, and I’ve like, taken care of it and it’s in my closet.”

“I was wondering why my own wardrobe was seeming a bit bare,” Ignis laughed, moving toward the hall.

“And I have a complaint! All of your clothes are dry-clean only!” Prompto said, scrambling to follow Ignis to the bedroom. “Do you know how many times I almost ruined your fancy pants because they ended up in my hamper?”

Ignis snorted. “That would hardly be the worst way you’ve ruined my ‘fancy’ pants,” he said, throwing a wry smirk over his shoulder at Prompto.

The blond froze on the spot in the hall, blushing and sputtering for a moment. It was true, though; during a couple of their fumbling make-out sessions, Prompto had spent quite excitedly against Ignis’ clothed thigh and sometimes Prompto’s own pants did little to contain the mess.

“I said sorry,” he mumbled, grinning as he resumed following Ignis into the bedroom. “What do I even  _ wear _ to a queer club?”

“Whatever you want, to be honest,” Ignis replied as he slid the closet door open and looked over the collection of his clothes. “Sapien is about being you, as you feel most comfortable. Though you do have to change out of your pyjamas.”

Prompto laughed and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting patiently as Ignis picked out his outfit. When the man began to strip, Prompto averted his gaze and got up to approach the closet. It wasn’t as if watching Ignis change was against any rules, but he knew that they wouldn’t behave themselves if he did.

They got ready over the course of the next hour or so, and Prompto couldn’t help but feel a little inadequate next to Ignis. While yes, Prompto put a lot of effort into his hair, he didn’t ever feel especially put together. His clothes were deliberately ragged, and his boots were less-deliberately scuffed.

But Ignis was perfect. Even going to a club, he was dressed up. He would probably argue that he wasn’t, as he wasn’t wearing a coat, but with the button-down, suspenders, and slacks, he looked amazing. And his hair was done up again, a style that Prompto adored and wished to see on him more often.

Ignis looked over at him in the elevator and made a thoughtful noise. He stepped close to Prompto and cupped his cheek. Prompto immediately tipped his head back to accept the kiss, sighing as Ignis licked into his mouth briefly. The kiss was short-lived, however, and Ignis pulled back to meet Prompto’s eyes.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, brushing his thumb across Prompto’s cheek.

“You look great,” Prompto replied, and it was mostly the truth.

“And this makes you unhappy?” Ignis pressed, smiling lightly at Prompto’s blush.

“No. Well, I mean, you look so--and I look like this. I don’t know,” Prompto confessed in a rush, pulling back and turning his face away from Ignis. “I feel kinda sloppy next to you.”

“I hardly think you’re ‘sloppy’, Prompto. Quite the opposite,” Ignis said firmly, and Prompto startled slightly when Ignis laced their fingers together. “I find this outfit you’re wearing incredibly attractive. Distractingly so.”

Prompto flushed and grinned, look up at Ignis. “Really?”

“I don’t make a habit of lying,” Ignis responded, smiling when Prompto laughed. “If you’re truly feeling uncomfortable, we can go back upstairs and have a quiet night in.”

“No!” Prompto said quickly, shaking his head. “I’m just being stupid--”

“Prompto,” Ignis interrupted firmly, just as the doors opened at the parking garage. They stepped out and made their way down the lane to Ignis’ car.

“Okay, not stupid, just, I don’t know, ridiculous. I want to go out with you tonight, I want to go to Sapien, and I don’t know,” Prompto said with a huff, shaking his head. “I guess I want to believe that you find me, you know, attractive. I’m working on that last bit, okay?”

“Sounds reasonable,” Ignis said thoughtfully, letting go of Prompto’s hand so that they could get into the car. “Any way I can help with that?”

Prompto laughed, dropping into the passenger seat and shutting his door. “Just keep saying it, maybe I’ll believe it one of these days,” he replied jokingly when Ignis joined him.

“That should be no hardship for me,” Ignis said, angling a smile at Prompto that had butterflies burst into flight in his stomach.

The drive to Sapien was short, and Prompto found his nerves returning in full as they circled the block looking for parking. It was a busy night in the city, the end of the week and the start of the weekend parties. They finally found something a few blocks away from the club, and they walked holding hands the whole way.

Getting into the club took a bit longer, as Ignis was greeted enthusiastically by the bouncers and Prompto was introduced to all of them. When they finally entered the club, Prompto was taken aback by the noise level.

He barely resisted the urge to cover his ears, looking around through squinted eyes as the lights around them flashed and changed colours. The club was packed, throngs of people dancing and entangled in various states of undress. A few men eyed them with interest as they passed, something that had Prompto flushing. He wasn’t accustomed to so much attention, especially while he was out with Ignis.

They finally reached a staircase and followed it down. It was much quieter in the basement, the thumping of the music upstairs still audible, but not overpowering. There was music playing, but it was at a much more manageable volume, and there were several booths along the walls. Most were taken, but there were a few in a sectioned off part of the room across the dance floor. There were people dancing down there as well, though not nearly as many as upstairs.

On the way there, Prompto had been dreading the thought of dancing. But watching the crowd move together, and standing next to Ignis like this, he found himself  _ wanting  _ to get out there. He felt a possessive stab go through him, the need to show everyone here that Ignis was with  _ him _ .

As Ignis tugged him along, cutting a path through the dancing crowd to get to the secluded booths, Prompto stopped walking. When Ignis turned with a questioning look, Prompto tugged him close and wrapped an arm around his waist, swaying slightly. Ignis looked alarmed for half a moment before a smirk overcame him.

They danced together, bodies pressed close, Prompto’s hand resting on Ignis’ hip as the man moved fluidly against him. For a few moments, he was awestruck, having never seen  _ this  _ particular side of Ignis, while simultaneously being intensely pleased that he got to have this.  _ He  _ had Ignis.  _ He _ would dance with him like this for as long as they could stand it.  _ He _ would go home with him.  _ He  _ would wake up next to him in the morning and do this all over again. For a brief, blinding second, Prompto actually felt worthy of it.

Without thinking, Prompto’s other hand was in Ignis’ hair, pulling the man down to meet a hungry kiss. Ignis opened up to it with a sound that Prompto could  _ feel  _ against his tongue. Ignis splayed a hand across Prompto’s tailbone and tangled the other in his hair, holding their bodies impossibly close as they moved with the heavy beat around them.

A leg shifted, and Prompto let out a deep groan at the pressure against him. With a shuddering gasp, he pulled away from the kiss, loosening the grip he had in Ignis’ hair, and met the man’s gaze. His glasses were foggy, sweat gathering across his brow and trailing down his cheek. Ignis’ mouth hung open, panting and red from their kiss, and all Prompto wanted to do was dive in for more.

Ignis moved first, tipping his head to press a sloppy kiss to the corner of Prompto’s lips before mouthing along his cheek to the hinge of his jaw. The blond gasped when he felt teeth on his earlobe, and couldn’t help the shattered moan when that sinful mouth found his throat. 

They danced together like that for some time, until Prompto found himself with his back to Ignis’ chest, lithe hands splayed across his stomach and chest while they rocked. Ignis was back to nibbling and sucking at Prompto’s throat, pulling gasps and moans from him as he tried to keep up. The hands on his torso slid down, fingers spread over the spurs of his hips, thumbs in the belt loops of his skinny jeans, and very suddenly it became too much for Prompto to handle.

The blond pulled away, grabbing Ignis’ hand and tugging him through the crowd.

“Do you need a break?” Ignis asked, shouting slightly to be heard over the music. “We can sit at one of the boothes if you would like.”

Prompto turned to look at him, taken aback by the sweaty flush that across Ignis’ face, and shook his head. “I need to get you home,” was all Prompto was able to say, before continuing their trek up the stairs and through the club.

Leaving the club disoriented Prompto. The steady dimness of streetlights after spending Gods knew how long in a flashing club, coupled with the muffled fuzziness in his ears, had him stumbling a few steps before he was able to right himself. 

They reached the car in record time, it felt like, but with an impatient huff, Prompto cornered Ignis against it and pulled him back in for another kiss. This one was demanding, hungry, a lot more teeth than they usually indulged in, and it was perfect.

“We should--” Ignis mumbled against Prompto’s lips, letting out a shuddery sigh when Prompto slid a leg between his. “We should really take this in-- _ ah _ , inside. Home.”

Prompto let out a sad sound but nodded, pressing in hard before pulling away. “You’re right,” Prompto agreed, stepping away from Ignis and withdrawing his hands completely.

Ignis looked ready to topple over, his breathing laboured and eyes dazed. With a thick swallow, he moved around around the car to get in, and Prompto quickly followed suit.

By the time they reached Prompto’s apartment building, they seemed to have regained enough of their composure to keep their hands to themselves on the way up. It was difficult for Prompto to refrain, seeing Ignis so disheveled, so sweaty, so utterly perfect and  _ his _ .

They barely cleared the threshold before Prompto was crowding Ignis against the wall. Their mouths met as Prompto pushed the suspenders off of Ignis’ shoulders, hands moving to the man’s fly. Ignis groaned thickly when Prompto pushed a hand down the front of his underwear and began working his dick.

Prompto grinned at the desperate noises his lover was making with every tug and pull of his fingers, the way he slumped against the wall and clung to the front of Prompto’s shirt. Ignis couldn’t even kiss back, his mouth open and panting as Prompto licked into it and bit at his lower lip.

Experimentally, Prompto slipped his fingers past Ignis’ dick and hooked two into his cunt. The noise Ignis made at the gentle probing startled Prompto, and he began to pull back until a hand wrapped almost painfully around his wrist.

“ _ Please _ ,” Ignis begged, breathless and needy.

Prompto was struck with the need to do  _ more _ , to make Ignis properly incoherent. He remembered his urge from the first time he did something like this with Ignis; the urge to  _ taste _ . With a last kiss, Prompto pulled back and withdrew his hand, easing Ignis’ fingers off of his wrist.

“Prompto?” Ignis questioned, opening his eyes behind his fogged glasses.

“I want to do something,” Prompto murmured, pushing Ignis’ pants and underwear down his thighs and kneeling to help remove the man’s shoes.

“Are you sure?” Ignis asked, stepping out of his clothes.

“Yes, Iggy. This is the greenest green light, I promise,” Prompto replied, nudging Ignis’ thighs apart and sliding his hand upward once again. “Is this okay?”

“By the Astrals, yes,” Ignis gasped, cupping Prompto’s cheek gently.

With a sigh, Prompto leaned forward, taking Ignis’ dick between his lips and sucking. He groaned at the taste of him on his tongue, at the way Ignis released a shuddering, breathless sound, at the hand sliding back into his hair. It was intoxicating, the way Ignis melted against the wall, trying to spread his legs wider to grant Prompto more access, the hands grabbing for purchase on the back of his head. With a hungry sound, Prompto guided Ignis’ leg to hook over his shoulder and pressed closer.

Ignis shivered and whined as Prompto worked him with his tongue and lips, alternating between sucking and massaging. Lifting his hand again, Prompto slipped his fingers back into Ignis’ cunt, shifting them in and out before curling them along his inner walls. He grinned against Ignis when the man all but shouted and bucked down against him, releasing a babbled litany of ‘please’s and ‘yes’s.

Prompto needed him to come, needed to feel Ignis spasm around him, to hear his strangled cries as he was driven over the edge. It wouldn’t take long, with how worked up Ignis already was, and with Prompto’s dutiful attention. Already, Ignis’ breath was hitching, fingers flexing in Prompto’s hair as he keened. Prompto looked up through his bangs as he worked Ignis’ dick with his tongue and the bundle of nerves inside him with his fingers, vision hazy as he met Ignis’ gaze.

Ignis was panting open-mouthed, looking over the rim of his glasses where they slipped down his long nose, sweat dripping down the side of his face. His hair was drooping attractively around his face, and he groaned deep in his chest as Prompto doubled his efforts on his dick. Ignis let his head fall back against the wall with a loud thump and the thigh on Prompto’s shoulder tensed.

“Prompto, I-I’m--” Ignis’ warning was cut off by a sharp cry and Prompto could  _ feel _ him come undone, from the heel pressing almost painfully into his back to the clenching heat around his fingers.

Prompto worked Ignis through his orgasm and then some, working the sensitized flesh until Ignis was all but sobbing. His knee buckled and he slid down the wall a few inches until he caught himself and still Prompto sucked him off. He was drunk on the taste, the smell, and the all-encompassing heat of his lover. With a groan, Prompto moved his mouth further south, pressing his tongue in alongside his fingers.

The shattered cry that earned him had Prompto’s head spinning.

“Prompto, I need-I need to lie down, please,” Ignis sobbed, even as his hands held Prompto in place and he all but rode his tongue and fingers.

With a moan, Prompto pulled back and smiled at the broken sound that Ignis made at the loss of contact. Withdrawing his fingers from Ignis’ body, he lapped at the slickness that coated them with a hum.

Ignis cursed as he slipped his leg off of Prompto’s shoulder and slid down the wall to straddle Prompto’s lap and pull him into a needy kiss.

At first, Prompto was too shocked to respond, eyes wide as the other man desperately licked into his mouth, as if  _ trying  _ to taste himself there. Finally, when his brain caught up and realized that was exactly what Ignis was doing, he dove into the embrace fully, tongue meeting Ignis’ and moaning.

Suddenly, Ignis pulled away with a gasp. “May I return the favour?”

Prompto throbbed in his pants, his attention finally being brought to his own burgeoning desire. He had been so caught up in Ignis’ pleasure, he hadn’t realized how hard he’d gotten. While the thought of having Ignis’ mouth on him had him aching, he wanted more. He wanted to  _ do more _ for this absolutely perfect man.

He wanted to make love to Ignis. Or, he at least wanted to  _ try _ .

“I want,” Prompto began, but paused to find his words and the confidence to speak them. “I want to fuck you.”

Ignis paused, pulling back and panting as he met Prompto’s eyes. He seemed to trust what he saw there and nodded, hunger overcoming his expression. “Shall we move this to the bedroom then?”

They both stumbled to their feet, Ignis needing to be steadied as his legs seemed unable to support him very well. They laughed and kissed each other soundly as they stood in the entryway before Prompto began walking Ignis backward and turning down the hall. He worked on the buttons down the front of Ignis’ shirt, pulling the garment down his arms and dropping.

Once they reached the bedroom, Prompto pulled away to fetch lube and a condom from the cabinet in the ensuite. When he returned, Ignis was already sprawled out on the bed, his glasses on the bedside table and a hand between his thighs, working his dick as he waited. Prompto openly stared, his free hand gripping himself through his jeans, stroking the bulge almost teasingly.

They watched each other, eyes meeting and the air growing thick with their need. Finally, Prompto broke the spell when he undid his pants and pushed them down his thighs. He cursed as he realized he was still wearing his heavy boots and waddled over to the bed with his jeans around his knees. Ignis barked out a laugh as he hoisted himself up onto his knees to crawl over to the blond.

“Stupid boots,” Prompto grumbled, tossing the condom and lube on the bed and bending over to untie the laces. Ignis draped his warm, naked body across his back with a low moan. When a hot, wet mouth latched onto the nape of his neck, Prompto groaned. “Oh, come on, Iggy. These boots are hard enough to get off as it is.”

There was a puff of air that raised goosebumps along Prompto’s throat when Ignis chuckled. A hand gently slipped around Prompto’s hip and cupped his clothed erection lightly, experimentally. There was a lengthy pause, broken only when Prompto breathed out, “green.”

The touch became firmer, lithe fingers squeezing and stroking his girth through the thin layer of his boxers. The sound that left Prompto’s mouth was undignified, a bit like a gurgle mixed with a gasp, and he fumbled with his laces and yanked the boots off. Ignis backed off to allow Prompto room to shake his pants off the rest of the way, the flailing motions of his legs sending the garment flying.

Prompto turned on Ignis, pinning the man with a thorough, hungry kiss and slotting himself between his tanned thighs. Ignis pawed at Prompto’s vest, pushing it down and urging the blond to shrug it off. When Prompto obliged, Ignis grabbed the hem of his shirt and tugged a bit, again questioningly.

“Leave the undershirt,” Prompto breathed against Ignis’ mouth before pulling away, letting the man yank his shirt up over his head. Now Prompto was above his lover, wearing only his underclothes and socks, while Ignis was completely naked beneath him. For a moment, Prompto was self-conscious about his socks, and considered removing them until Ignis was pulling him back into a desperate, needy kiss.

“Iggy,” Prompto breathed as the other man wrapped a leg around his waist and ground up against him.

“Please, Prompto,” Ignis moaned, reaching down to fish Prompto’s cock out, stroking it determinedly as his other hand slapped around the bedding in search of the condom. With a grunt, Prompto joined the search and let out a triumphant huff as his fingers closed on the foil packet.

There was another bout of fumbling motions, between Ignis moving further back on the bed and Prompto trying to follow while also rolling the condom on. They met somewhere in the middle, Ignis sprawled back against the comforter in the center of the bed and Prompto all but looming over him, hand stroking his sheathed cock. Their mouths collided as Prompto fumbled around for the lube, and they both giggled when Ignis sheepishly pulled it out from under his back. 

Pulling back, Prompto concentrated on the task of slicking his dick. When he was done with that, he reached over to press his fingers into Ignis’ cunt to use up the excess. The rapturous expression that came over Ignis’ face was a side benefit.

“How do you wanna do this?” Prompto asked, propping himself up on his hands and knees above his lover. 

There was some embarrassment, being so vulnerable, being almost naked and so intimate with someone. But there was also intense arousal. There was something about being partially clothed above one’s naked partner, and Ignis seemed to agree with this with the way he kept looking at Prompto.

“On my knees?” Ignis said quickly, though he posed it as a question. Still checking with Prompto, still making sure this was in line with what he was comfortable with. Warmth burst in Prompto’s chest at that.

“Welp, up and at ‘im then,” Prompto said with a grin, slapping Ignis’ inner thigh lightly. The man made a weird noise at that and flushed, and Prompto gleefully filed that tidbit away for another time.

Ignis rolled over quickly, straining to grab a pillow and hugged it to his chest as he propped himself up on his elbows and knees. Prompto urged Ignis to spread his legs just a little bit more and pressed the head of his cock against Ignis’ hot cunt. With a steadying breath, Prompto looked over the perfect expanse of Ignis’ bronze back and thrust inside in one fluid motion.

“ _ Yes _ ,” Ignis keened thickly into the pillow, his entire body shuddering.

Prompto kept moving, hands holding Ignis’ hips as he thrust, pulling the man slightly against each press. He watched, wide-eyed, as the man below him unraveled, shuddering and gasping and crying out at each thrust into him. Ignis was responsive, vocal, and touch-hungry, leaning into every shift of Prompto’s hands on him, while simultaneously trying to fuck himself on Prompto’s cock.

It was surreal still, to have a partner so needy and loud, someone who wanted to be taken by Prompto, to be claimed by him. There was a part of him that wished he wasn’t wearing a condom, that he could mark Ignis like that and see it. Something filthy in him wanted to lick it from his hole even. 

Flushing at his fantasies, Prompto picked up the speed, pulling Ignis back onto him roughly and Ignis’ muffled shout sent a shock through his core. He could see the way Ignis’ fingers twisted in the pillow, the way his shoulders tensed and his back shivered. Then Ignis turned his head so he could look up at Prompto from the corner of his eyes, and Prompto’s breath caught in his chest.

“Gods, you’re perfect,” Ignis groaned before his eyes fluttered shut.

The praise hit Prompto like a punch in the gut, winding him slightly. He’d fucked Samuel lots, and Zara lots, but they’d hardly ever been this enthusiastic, this needy. Samuel definitely never praised him, always treating bottoming as some favour he was doing for Prompto.

“Prompto? Light?”

Prompto startled, realizing he’d drifted and slowed down, and realized that Ignis twisted a bit more to watch him properly. The concern warmed him and drove his thoughts of Samuel and Zara away.

“Green, Iggy,” Prompto said with a smile and resumed his pace from before, moaning at the guttural noises that Ignis made. 

Leaning forward, Prompto braced himself with his hands on the bed next to Ignis’ shoulders. He dropped onto his elbows, forcing Ignis to spread his thighs wider and slid a hand under the man to begin working his dick. Ignis keened, throwing his head back and trying to move on Prompto’s now-still cock.

“You close?” Prompto gasped, mouthing along Ignis’ shoulder as the man frantically nodded, thighs trembling with the stretch of their position. “C’mon Iggy, come for me.”

Ignis shouted, the sound almost shaping Prompto’s name, but not quite, and the blond could feel the heat around him clench. The next noise out of the man was something guttural, animalistic as his back arched. Then, all tension left Ignis in a rush and he was keening, his cunt beginning to pulse hotly around Prompto.

At that, Prompto pushed himself up, gripped Ignis’ hips, and all but pounded into that pulsing, molten heat, luxuriating in the desperate praise falling from Ignis’ perfect, pretty lips. It didn’t take long for Prompto to follow Ignis over the edge, his own climax sudden with how pent up he was, how ready he was for it. The strength of it was overwhelming, his nails digging into Ignis’ flank and pulling a desperate sound from the man. Prompto continued to pump into Ignis’ heat, even as he came, and he could have sworn he felt Ignis come again.

When Prompto’s senses returned to him, they were still in the same position, both of them panting and moaning on each exhale. The relative silence stretched between them for several long moments.

“Gods, that was amazing,” Ignis breathed and sagged against the bed, pulling off of Prompto’s softening cock and moaning.

Prompto laughed and slipped off the bed, carefully removing the condom and tying it off. Bending over, he slapped Ignis’ thigh lightly. “You should go use the bathroom and clean up,” he said, flushing when Ignis propped himself up on his elbows to scowl back at him properly.

“I’m comfortable. And not entirely certain my legs will hold me up. Do I still have legs?” Ignis babbled, flopping back down.

“C’mon, Iggy,” Prompto said, grabbing Ignis by the ankles and tugging him closer to the edge of the bed.

“Prompto you have to stop manhandling me,” Ignis gasped, his voice slightly strained as he rolled over to meet Prompto’s eyes. “I’m afraid I will have to have my wicked way with you again if you keep that up.”

“Oh no, whatever shall I do?” Prompto replied with a grin and leaned over to kiss Ignis’ grinning mouth.

“That was okay?” Ignis asked after a brief make-out, eyes slightly hazy with a low-burning arousal that also bubbled in Prompto.

“More than okay. It was perfect,” Prompto reassured Ignis, pressing another brief kiss to Ignis’ lips. “But seriously, if we’re going to bed, you need to go clean up.”

“So serious,” Ignis said with a huff, rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

“One of us has to be, and you’re serious enough for both of us most of the time,” Prompto laughed, moving so Ignis could get up and tossed the condom in the garbage in his room.

About ten minutes later, Ignis rejoined Prompto in the bed, snuggling his naked form up against Prompto under the covers and sighed. Prompto returned the contented sound and relaxed.

“You were...shall we say, introspective for a moment back there,” Ignis said softly, meeting Prompto’s eyes.

“Mm-hmm,” Prompto said with a little shrug of his shoulder. “Just...never been with someone so vocal and into it is all.”

“I can’t imagine  _ anyone  _ not being into  _ that _ ,” Ignis scoffed, missing Prompto’s pleased flush when he closed his eyes and sighed. “That was simply amazing.”

“And you’re ridiculous when you’ve come a couple times,” Prompto grumbled and pressed close to Ignis’ body.

“Indeed,” Ignis sleepily replied, already clearly drifting off, and muttered, “love you.”

Prompto froze, watching the man he had been in love with for so long drift off to sleep, and tears collected in his eyes. Not bad tears, by any means, but happy ones. Joyful ones. Ignis wanted him. Ignis was attracted to him. Ignis  _ loved  _ him. 

“Love you, too, Iggy,” Prompto whispered, smiling as he wiped away his tears and followed Ignis into slumber.


End file.
